McCumbee McAleer Racing (MMR) and Aerosport will be competing in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge Grand Sport with drivers Chad McCumbee and Jenson Altzman in the No. 13 Ford Mustang GT4 sponsored by Vervantis.
MMR with Aerosport aims to put the Vervantis Ford in the spotlight at Daytona and looks forward to a bright future in the series. MMR will also be strengthening its relationship with Ford and Multimatic, with the Mustang platform proving to be a success in the past.
Based in Supply, N.C., MMR was formed in 2014 by McCumbee and Stevan McAleer. McCumbee, whose roots lie in NASCAR, and McAleer, an expert sports car racer, combined to create a multi-car and highly capable team within the Global MX-5 Cup paddock. This announcement reaffirms the success MMR has had in the last years and will begin a new chapter for the team as they now expand to IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
“Throughout my career I have been very fortunate to be associated with simply amazing people. Jenson [Altzman] and his partners are certainly part of that group. It goes without saying that Stevan and I are ecstatic to start a GT4 program with Aerosport, especially since it will be Jenson’s Michelin Pilot Challenge debut,” McCumbee said.
Due to prior commitments, McCumbee will fill the seat of the No. 13 Vervantis Ford Mustang GT4 for all except two events on the IMPC schedule. The team is still looking for a driver to fill those rounds, and will make proper announcements at a later date.
McCumbee will be closely involved in the development and evaluation process throughout the season.
“Chad and myself have been talking about this for years and we are extremely excited to showcase the Vervantis Ford Mustang. To see one of our MX-5 Cup drivers, Jenson Altzman, come through our program and continue on to GT4 and making his debut at Daytona under my Team is what it’s all about,” McAleer said.
Aerosport is led by Allison Altzman, who has made a successful career in the racing industry. The company’s mission is to be a mentor and resource for other women to find employment in motorsports — either as engineer, driver, public relations, marketing or mechanic, among others.
“I grew up at the race track as both of my parents competed locally with SCCA and my uncle, Elliot Forbes Robinson, went pro. After college, I realized the corporate financial world wasn’t a good fit and shifted straight into a career in motorsports,” Altzman said. “Owning a car and partnering with MMR on this race program is a natural progression. I look forward to mentoring other women who come into the sport and kicking off this exciting endeavor in Daytona.”
Jenson Altzman started in go karts in 2015 and had multiple national wins and championships. He was a 2020 Mazda Factory Club Racing Scholarship nominee. After jumping from karts to cars in 2021, he joined MMR.
He finished 10th in the 2021 MX-5 Cup Championship and ninth in 2022.
“I’m very excited to be back with McCumbee McAleer Racing and continue my career in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge this season,” Jenson Altzman said. “2023 will be my junior year racing cars, and to be a part of this new program with MMR stepping into IMPC is a real honor. Chad and Stevan have built an amazing MX-5 Cup program. The knowledge and insight they both have shared with me over the past two seasons feels like a lifetime of experience. IMPC was the clear next step, and has been a big goal for both myself and the team.”