Behind the Scenes

A Fast-Paced Weekend in LA 

This is a play-by-play of a hectic but fun weekend that led up to my debut with the Mazda Motorsports Factory Club Racing Team. The buildup started with a weekend of intense final preparation in Los Angeles. From sim work to networking at events to catching up with old friends. This was one exciting send-off.

I brought along my friend Brooklyn Zevenbergen, a fellow aspiring motorsport journalist and part of #TeamStiglette, to help capture the weekend. We started day one by heading up the mountains to a well-known car event called Good Vibes Breakfast Club, where I got to catch up with some supporters and was asked to test drive and give my driving impressions on the Mazda CX-30 SUV.

From there, we headed across town to meet with a sponsor of mine before heading to the beach. Watching the sunset at the beach was a nice way to reflect on the journey so far and look forward to the challenge that lay ahead. We ended the day at the famous Bob’s Big Boy Classic Car Show held every Friday night.

Day two started at a local cars and coffee near my house, where I gave the first round of “My Friend Is A Racecar Driver” shirts to some of my supporters, including Andy Wong who said, "It's awesome to see this local guy progress on the racing ladder.” 

From there, we headed across town for the 2025 season photoshoot, where I proudly wore my new Mazda race suit. Putting on that race suit, which had my name silkscreened with the big “Mazda” letters, felt surreal, as I was now officially representing Mazda.

After many hours at the photoshoot and hundreds of photos later, it was time to head to the next exciting event. That evening we attended the 2024 National Auto Sport Association Southern California Awards Ceremony, where I would pick up my Spec Miata and Teen Mazda Challenge Championship trophies. Holding those trophies, I had the biggest smile on my face. So much hard work went into that season, and now I was ready to write the next chapter.

The final day started bright and early at home as I practiced on the simulator with my coach, Enzo Mucci. We train together on the sim before every race event to ensure I am 100% dialed in and ready to go before arriving at the track.

After heading to yet another car event, I completed my pre-season physical assessment with my trainer, Greg Lawless from Racers Performance, to ensure that I was physically fully prepared for the upcoming weekend.

Straight from my training session, we rushed to the airport to catch the flight back to Phoenix for school the next day.

“It was super cool to go through what you do in a day, and see the behind-the-scenes of how you’re constantly running around,” Zevenbergen said, recapping her experience filming for me.

My stop in LA was fast, but the perfect way to start the season, spending time with those who support me most.