Mark Twain as soon as mentioned, “The dictionary is the one place the place success comes earlier than work.”
Coming into rounds 7 and eight of the 2024 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Offered by Michelin on the Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course this weekend, Nathan Nicholson – no stranger to exhausting work – sits fifth in general factors and leads the rookie standings.
Sizzling off back-to-back second-place finishes final day out at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Nicholson is using a wave of confidence. His ambition isn’t to be main the rookie standings, even when that’s an excellent achievement contemplating the depth and energy of the category of ’24 – it’s to be main general.
“I don’t suppose I’ve misplaced a factors championship in about 4 years, despite the fact that I’ve been new in each collection,” says Nicholson. “Everybody thought I used to be loopy after I mentioned I’m right here to win the championship, however I’m right here to win the championship. I’m not going to accept being like, ‘Oh, effectively, my objective is to complete fourth or fifth.’ Positive, that’d be end result. However when you realize you’re working this tough, I’m going to attempt to go for the win.”
Placing the work in is nothing new to Nicholson (beneath). Collectively along with his father, Don, he’s been not simply the motive force, however his personal mechanic and engineer since his days in karting to the current.
“In 2021 I began in Spec Miata, and in 2022 received a regional championship. I used to be aiming for the (Mazda Scholarship) Shootout that yr, however I didn’t get invited and that sort of fueled me to take it severe the following yr,” he explains. “I did Spec MX-5 the next yr (2023) with me and my dad working the automotive, which we purchased and received as much as racing form. We did all of the setup and upkeep ourselves. I received the factors championship and received invited to the Shootout.”
It was loads to tackle for a household with none background or connections in racing. Don owns a masonry retail enterprise in Bloomington, Ind., that he began in a determined second when spouse Mila was anticipating Nathan. Outdoors of attending some races at Bloomington Speedway and dealing on automobiles and equipment wanted to assist the enterprise, Don had no prior expertise with racecars.
After they made the transition from karts to automobiles, Nicholson was a freshman in highschool. It was additionally the primary yr of the COVID pandemic and he used the chance to show himself the engineering facet of the game.
“Yeah, I spent quite a lot of time on YouTube movies and the SIM,” remembers Nicholson. “I actually wasn’t doing a lot faculty. As a substitute, I used to be on the simulator simply messing with stuff on there after which attempting it in actual life. We have now a membership at Putnam Park, which is the native highway course monitor. So, me and my dad would go up there and that’s the place I discovered drive a stick shift on monitor and arrange a automotive and work out what I preferred.”
The system works so effectively that to maintain issues in funds, and regardless of being aligned with a high group in JTR Motorsport Engineering, the Nicholsons proceed to do all their very own automotive prep between races.
Putting second within the Scholarship Shootout and incomes a $75,000 award helped to solidify his present entry in MX-5 Cup. The opening double-header rounds at Daytona and Sebring have been stuffed with ups and downs, together with two wrecks that left his automotive considerably broken.
“Daytona was undoubtedly just a little little bit of trial by hearth on this collection,” remembers Nicholson. “Getting two follow classes is loads completely different than what I’m used to. In Spec MX-5 we had a minimum of six. So, it’s important to be in your sport arriving to the monitor.
“Race 1 was OK. I used to be in a position to stick with the leaders, didn’t get into a lot bother, and I believe I got here away seventh or eighth, which wasn’t dangerous. In Race 2, I took the lead for just a little bit and was working within the high three. Then I received caught up in a crash and received to do the well-known Daytona slide throughout the brand, however not precisely how I needed to finish the weekend.
“Then in Sebring, we have been just a little gradual. In qualifying, I received right into a crash and totaled the, the entrance and rear body rail. I needed to go to a backup automotive to begin thirtieth. I believe these races the place you’re actually challenged and there’s quite a lot of adversity are what resolve the championship on the finish of the yr.”
Regardless of the hardships, Nicholson managed to safe a big sufficient haul of factors to salvage the Sebring weekend. Then got here the massive breakthrough within the following spherical at WeatherTech Raceway.
“We did some testing the week earlier than. It was my first time there, however I’ve pushed it loads on the SIM, so I undoubtedly didn’t really feel like a stranger there,” recounts Nicholson. “In Race 1, Jared (Thomas) and I had a plan to attempt to work collectively and get away. We (together with Aaron Jeansonne) had one thing like a four-second hole, and it was going to be no stress for the rostrum. However then there was a security automotive that arrange a last-lap shootout. Now, the sphere has tightened up and I’ve stress from behind. Nicely, Aaron made a mistake on that final flip, and I used to be in a position to capitalize (to complete second).
“Then Race 2, I received hit and dropped to ninth place. I believe in that race I went by each emotion in racing. I used to be sort of pissed off at first after which I used to be simply seeing purple, after which I received to the entrance and I used to be nervous. I went by all the things in that race,” he explains. “So, Race 2 meant much more. I felt like I used to be actually in a position to present everybody what I can do in that race. Afterward, I used to be crying because it meant loads to me that Mazda and Whelen and all these folks supporting me believed in me sufficient to assist me get to this stage.”
When requested the place his work ethic and aggressive hearth come from, Nicholson doesn’t hesitate.
“I believe a few of it’s pure, nevertheless it’s additionally from my dad and mom,” he says. “My dad had eight siblings rising up within the middle-of-nowhere Indiana. And my mother moved to america when she was three years previous (from Russia) with only a suitcase. So, for them to even survive and be able they’re at the moment to provide me one of the best life, they needed to be aggressive, and so they have been true fighters. After I was in karting there have been quite a lot of children with fifty, sixty, seventy thousand-dollar budgets and there’s no method that I might compete with that. Being within the mid pack with lesser gear, I hated dropping or being gradual. So, working more durable at that age I believe is what made me aggressive.”
• All Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Offered by Michelin races are streamed reside on RACER.com and archived on The RACER Channel on YouTube. Developing this weekend, tune in to rounds 7 & 8 from Mid-Ohio Sports activities Automotive Course. The motion kicks off on Saturday, June 8, at 3:25pm ET, adopted by the second race on Sunday, June 9, at 10:25am ET.
To view the total schedule and study extra in regards to the collection, go to mx-5cup.com.
