Scott Shelton proved that persistence and practice makes perfect, winning this year's MAZDASPEED Shootout and a ride in the 2011 SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup. With the win, Shelton also joins the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development Driver ladder program class of 2011. The MAZDASPEED ladder has been a critical part of the success of up-and-coming racers.

Shelton, a 40-year-old Southern California native, qualified for the club racer shootout by winning the 2010 NASA Performance Touring C (PTC) Championship race in his Mazda RX-8. In the one-day shootout, held at the Michelin/BFGoodrich Laurens Proving Grounds in Greenville, S.C., Shelton was rated tops among the five finalists. The five finalists were a diverse group ranging from a 16-year-old to an AARP-eligible driver with 25 years of racing experience.
The criteria given that each of the five had proven themselves on the track to win a championship, the criteria to move up needed to be more encompassing. To succeed on the professional level requires a balance of both on-track and off-track skills. The driving sessions were conducted using Skip Barber Racing prepared Mazda MX-5's similar to those used in the SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup.

Each year Mazda invites a panel of outside judges to make the selection. The judges brought a wealth of both on-track, and off-track expertise. Over a dozen professionals were involved in either the preliminary business proposal review, on-track activities, or both.
The total prize package is valued at over $75,000 and is the largest prize in club racing.