Episode 107

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Published on:

10th May 2022

Racing for your dreams with Mazda MX-5 Driver Bryce Cornet

In this episode of the Started With A Dream Podcast presented by 9INE POINT, Jacolby Gilliam interviews Bryce Cornet, a  Mazda MX-5 Cup Series driver sponsored by Hixon Motor Sports, Mazda motorsports and a scholarship recipient of the 2021 Mazda motorsports. He earned a master's at the University of Central Oklahoma while working and also pursuing a career in motorsports. Today, he shares with us his story of starting out in the world of racing, battling with heart abnormalities at a young age and bagging a sponsorship with Mazda.  

Bryce begins by narrating the ordeal he faced at 15 just when he had begun to show interests in motorsports. He talks about a documentary that was created to show how he battled with heart abnormalities and how he never gave up his dreams in spite of them. Turning his dream into reality required a shift in mindset and immense motivation to keep going. He shares with us how he pitches himself to sponsors and his experince as a Mazda sponsored driver. Bryce shares his view on the future of the racing industry and what he hopes to achieve in years to come. Just like he didn't let his challanges hold him down, Bryce challenges you to work hard and never give up.

Key Points:

  • Introduction to Bryce cornet
  • How Bryce dealt with heart abnormalities at age 15 and how this affected his early racing career
  • Bryce’s documentary and what captured Mazda
  • Turning a dream into reality
  • How Bryce bagged the Mazda scholarship and the challenges he faced
  • Pursuing a master's at the University of Central Oklahoma while working and building his racing career
  • Hacking the motivation to keep going
  • Pitching yourself correctly to a sponsor
  • Bryce’s advice to young people looking to get into racing
  • Bryce’s experience this racing year as a Mazda driver
  • The future Bryce looks forward to
  • How to change your mindset when you have a bad starter
  • Navigating teamwork and competition 
  • How to grow the racing industry by bringing it to the mainstream audience
  • Racers Bryce would love to race against

Quotes:

“I had a story, I had something that was unique.”

“That year 2018 will forever go down as the craziest year for me.”

“As a driver, you have different driving tendencies, we have to learn a whole different new skill. It's like learning how to write with your left hand almost at times.”

“More for me is competing and being better this year, getting better, becoming a better sports car driver. And then also supporting Mazda more by being a proper brand ambassador for them.”

“You've got to be mentally strong to be able to have composure.”

Connect with 9INE POINT:

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Connect with Bryce:

Website

Instagram

Mazda MX-5 Cup Instagram

Hixon Motor Sports Website

Show artwork for The Started With A Dream Podcast w/ Jacolby Gilliam

About the Podcast

The Started With A Dream Podcast w/ Jacolby Gilliam
The Started With A Dream Podcast w/ Jacolby Gilliam
Every great athlete started with a dream. The Started With A Dream Podcast interviews athletes and the community that supports to share their journey and stories. Unlike most sports podcast this interview series with Jacolby Gilliam isn’t about how big an athlete’s name is but about their journey.

Like most athletes, Jacolby had this big dream growing up about being a Division-I college athlete. Somehow he made that happen. However, it wasn’t the exciting big signing day type story, but the tear his ACL his senior year of high school, let me try to walk-on at my dream University type of story. A lot of other stuff along the way.

His story doesn’t make him special, but it’s his journey. A journey that he thought he was alone on because of the stigma that athletes are supposed to be strong and not show weakness.  He started 9INE POINT with the aspirations to spark a new platform for current and the next generation of athletes.

Basically, something he wishes he had growing up. Society always highlights the glamorous lifestyle of being an athlete but avoids talking about the ups and downs that come as well like the anxiety or depression after a bad injury.

So why this podcast? Because it is a place for YOU to hear stories, tips, and advice from athletes from around the world just being real. While also featuring insight from the community that supports them, coaches, nutritionists, and therapists.

Some of these athletes and supporters are very well known. Some are not known at all and that’s the cool part! 9INE POINT and The Started With A Dream Podcast is the first platform giving a voice to all athletes regardless of "popularity" and the athletic community that supports them. What dream YOU may have, the ups and downs YOU are going through as an athlete, we want to make sure YOU never feel like you’re going through it alone.