Nathanial Sparks - also known as "Sparky" - won the inaugural Mazda MX-5 Cup Global Invitational this weekend at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
The event was a double-header with Race 1 being held on Saturday and Race 2 being held on Sunday. Eighteen drivers from eight different countries took place in the event, which pitted various up-and-coming Mazda drivers from across the globe together in identically-prepared Mazda MX-5 Cup race cars.
At the end of the day, it was Sparks taking home the overall win with the best average finish. Sparks brought home a 2nd-place finish on Saturday and the checkers on Sunday.
If the name Nathanial Sparks sounds familiar, it may be because you recognize him from his 2016 Battery Tender Mazda MX-5 Cup race win at VIR - where he led home a pack of five cars covered by just 0.15 seconds.
Sparks currently leads that championship with just two races left to run at Road Atlanta. If he holds on and wins the title, he will win the $200,000 scholarship that he can use to help him move up the Mazda Road to 24 ladder, with the next step being the Mazda Prototype Lights.
This win wasn't without its reward too, however, as Sparks will now be sent to Mazda Motorsports partner Multimatic where he will train on the "Driver in the Loop" (DIL) simulator. If his performance is successful, he may then be offered a one-day test in one of Mazda's Prototypes that competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
Among the racers that Sparks had to hold off were Robby Foley, who won Race 1 on Saturday, Yuui Tsutsumi, a Japanese racer who celebrated his 21st birthday with a third-place finish on Sunday, and German driver Moritz Kranz, the highest-ranked international racer overall who placed fourth in points behind Sparks, John Dean II, and Foley.
"When we launched the new car and series, we included the word 'Global' for a reason," said John Doonan, director of motorsports, Mazda North American Operations. "Mazda affiliates and racers from abroad have wanted to get involved in what had previously been North American exclusive. We're thrilled to have our overseas friends join us at our home track for what we hope will be the first of many such events in the years to come. With all cars being as identical as possible, it's a perfect showcase for racers to prove that no matter if you are on the highway, or on the track, driving matters."
