NASA Great Lakes Spec Miata and Teen Mazda Challenge racer Kamden Hibbitt was nominated for and won the Spec MX-5 Shootout in 2022. Hibbitt earned his competition license with NASA Texas and raced in Spec Miata in NASA Great Lakes.
He started racing in Spec MX-5 Cup, and is currently 11th in the points standings.
Hibbitt actually worked as an adviser to Racing Prodigy in the early stages of development. Racing Prodigy CEO and former Mazda Motorsports business development manager David Cook agreed that Hibbitt should have the opportunity to compete, so Hibbitt left his advisory role with the company and began taking part in the sim racing competitions online.
Most recently, Hibbitt was drafted to the Team Williams eSports team to race in the Prodigy 3 series, a paid-driver position set to take place this fall and winter at tracks in the Southeast region of the United States. Racing Prodigy will announce the schedule in the coming weeks.
“We’ve got four of the five locked in. We’re just waiting for a contract on the fifth, but we are pretty good about the locations,” said Matt Basta, press agent for Racing Prodigy. “I can tell you it’s an October-through-February kind of schedule, so like I said, it is going to be pretty southern driven, given the winter and the weather.”
On July 6, six teams drafted the first class of 32 drivers to compete in the Prodigy 3 racing series. Those teams were the G2, Guild, Outlaws, SuckerPunch, TC and Williams Esports Prodigy Racing Teams. It’s the first-of-its-kind racing series that takes drivers from all over the world, from any and all socioeconomic backgrounds, pits them against one another in online time-trial style and digital wheel-to-wheel racing competitions.
Racing Prodigy then brought the best of those racers to try out at Atlanta Motorsports Park during Prodigy Week to compete for the fastest lap time in a real Radical SR1, and then held a draft in London on July 6 in which the six aforementioned teams inducted the best drivers for the real life racing series this fall.
“As the world’s first e2Real sports league, we have a unique opportunity to merge the two worlds. We are very fortunate to bring on a mix of teams who focus either in esports or traditional sports,” said Racing Prodigy CEO David Cook. “They all share our mission of providing opportunity to those deserving regardless of socioeconomic background, as other pro sports do, which was a main driver for Thibaut Courtois and Williams. Our teams know if we come together to expand the sport, it will further strengthen their community which all the teams pride themselves on supporting. It’s all positive for all the teams and all those who dream of pursuing a racing career.”
We caught up with Hibbitt a few weeks after the draft to find out what the process was like and to “take his temperature” as the new Racing Prodigy 3 season draws near.
Q: I wanted to start by asking about how you found out about Racing Prodigy, how you got involved with the program.
A: I actually met David Cook through Mazda in January of 2021, I believe it was, and later that year he ended up starting, which all I knew at the time, was a new startup company with the aim of making a new introduction for racing drivers into the world of motorsports. So I stuck with Mazda and through the development process for Racing Prodigy, I actually was on their team of advisers, so I worked with Racing Prodigy on their advising team during their startup and helped do a little bit of research for them as they were starting to construct the company.
Obviously I couldn’t compete in the tournaments if I was still working with the company. In talking with David, we both agreed that it was best for me to actually get the chance to take part in the competitions and maybe even get a chance to go to Prodigy Week, which I was lucky enough to do. So from there I started competing in the iRacing tournaments and was lucky enough to win a golden ticket (Prodigy Pass) just a few months later.
Q: Talk to me a little bit about your experience on the sim side of things. I think a couple of the online competitions were basically time trial-type events and then there was a few races in there as well. Did I read that right?
A: Yes, so I ran in three different tournaments. So I started with the iRacing Formula Ford, where I made it into the semi-finals of that competition. I also competed in the NASCAR Truck series competition, which was at the Charlotte oval. I actually made it into the finals and unfortunately was caught up in a wreck in that race running toward the front of the field. And then the last competition of season one for Racing Prodigy was actually in a NC Miata, which is what I’m driving now through Mazda Motorsports. So I have a lot of seat time, not only in the sim, but also in real life in that. So, I competed in that one as well, made it to the finals.
Unfortunately, I didn’t win a (Prodigy Pass) through the actual race, but after the race, Racing Prodigy and their partners were able to put together funding for two more drivers in addition to what they were going to have as kind of two additional (Prodigy Pass) winners through their Prodigy search selection. And I was one of the two drivers chosen through the Prodigy search selection that got added late. So the sim racing, I didn’t actually win a (Prodigy Pass) through the sim racing, but the sim racing definitely set me up for great success later on and at Prodigy Week. And it also allowed me to prove the talent and the skills that I had before Racing Prodigy and David ultimately made that decision to give me the opportunity to move forward.
Q: Very cool. And then let’s talk about the golden ticket that got you to Prodigy Week. What was that like for you?
A: Prodigy week was amazing. I learned a ton from all the coaches. My coach was Andrew Carbonell for the week, who I had also previously worked with at the Mazda Shootout, so I was lucky to be able to get partnered back up with him and it was really just an awesome experience. I learned a lot on the track, but also a lot off the track. We had interview training from DKC, we had physical training from Pit Fit and The Racers Physio. There was a lot of off track work as well, and that’s something that obviously the 32 drivers all proved that we could get it done on the racetrack through our skills, through the sim racing tournaments, but most people didn’t know what we necessarily had off the track. It was really cool to experience that with everybody, and also driving the Radical SR1 was a nice change.
I’ve been in Miatas since I started my full-sized car career about two years ago, so it was nice to get a chance to drive something with a completely different driving style. Obviously the radical has downforce a little bit more power, it’s a lighter car, so it was nice to get to learn a completely different side of on-track driving in the motor sports world as well.
Q: Now, many of the drivers in the Prodigy 3 draft were strictly sim racers, right? But do you have experience in Spec Miata, Spec MX-5 and then also going further back quarter midgets? Do you think having that real world experience gives you an advantage over those who were strictly sim racers up to now?
A: I think so. You can get the idea and the mindset behind the race craft on the sim. That’s one of the greatest tools that sim racing can give you is learning the race craft and how to actually do it. But actually doing it on track inches apart from other cars is a completely different story. There is no reset button in real life. There is in the sim. You have to kind of change your driving style a little bit because there is no, like I said, there is no reset button. You get one shot. So you do have to kind of change your driving style a little bit. There are differences that you have to realize going from racing to real-life racing. So I definitely think I’ll have a little bit of an advantage in that aspect just because I’ve had two years of on-track wheel-to-wheel experience. I think I’ll be a little bit more comfortable at first, especially in those wheel-to-wheel environments and really pushing the car to the limit without making sure that you go over the limit.
Q: And when you say you have to change your driving style a little bit, what does that mean exactly? Change it, how?
A: You just have to work up to it a little bit more because in the sim you can go to the limit and work backward very easily, and a lot of times pushing past the limit and working backward will make it way easier, and you’ll be able to get to the limit faster. But in real life you can’t do that. You can’t afford to wreck a racecar, so you have to slowly work your way to that limit. And a lot of times it takes drivers a while to figure out their preferred method of doing that. You have to figure out based on your driving style, how you drive the racecar, how you’re going to be able to work up to the limit as fast as you can. And for some of the sim racers that may not have ever done that before, it’s going to be a learning experience that I think I’ll have a little bit of an upper hand in.
Q: With regard to Prodigy week, what was it like to audition that way? I mean that’s like the ultimate tryout for a racing driver. What was it like to have it all be up to that particular moment?
A: It’s definitely stressful in the moment. Thankfully I had a little bit of experience with that kind of event. Obviously being at the Mazda Shootout last November, it was kind of a similar type event. You do a lot of prep work, but ultimately what’s going to decide what you’re doing in the coming year racing wise is going to be those two or three days. So there is a lot of pressure put on those events and I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform. So, yes, it gets very stressful and it can get emotional at times, but one thing that I learned from the Mazda Shootout going into Prodigy Week, I really just went into it with a learning mindset. I just kind of went into it thinking whatever happens happens, and we’re just going to learn from it.
I’m going to try to do what I can, and even if I don’t get drafted in the coming months, it’s still going to be a great experience. I’m still going to be a better driver because of it. No matter what, I tried to go into the Mazda Shootout with that mindset, and it ended up working for me in being drafted by Williams eSports now on the Prodigy draft.
Q: Obviously you spent some time shoulder to shoulder with these guys over those few days. What was the mood like?
A: It was great. It was very cool to hear everybody’s stories and how they kind of got to that point, and everybody was just super excited. A lot of guys had never been in a racecar before. The mood was just very uplifting and energetic. Everybody was having fun and I think we were all learning, and we were all getting better as we were doing it. When you’re learning, having fun, some of that stress goes out. You don’t really think about it as much.
So definitely the first two, even two and a half days were really just fun. Everybody was having a blast and then when the chase competition came around, everybody got a little bit more serious then it’s crunch time at that point.
Q: I watched quite a bit of it online. It was really interesting to see the backgrounds of all these people. Now, did your racing experience with NASA help you during the Prodigy Week auditions and then even further during some of the sim racing?
A: NASA was my first full-size car experience. NASA is where I learned my car control and kind the basic fundamentals of racing. NASA’s a really cool program because you can be where I was when I joined and have very little experience, still kind of learning the basics, the fundamentals, and then at the front of the pack you got drivers that have been doing it for years and years and these are some of the best drivers in the country at the club racing level.
So it’s really cool I kind of climbed that ladder to where my first year in NASA in 2023, I was very at the back end of the pack trying to learn the car, learn some of that, and now this year running up front in Spec Miata with NASA Great Lakes. It’s been really cool to learn from everybody and I think everything that I’ve learned with NASA in the Spec Miata will definitely translate into the Prodigy three championship this fall.
Q: Now I read your background in the NASA database. You said you have quarter midget racing experience. Was that on dirt or asphalt?
A: It was on asphalt.
Q: So how does that translate to a Miata? That might be a pretty good way to get your feet wet. It’s still a very kart-like car, but you came from a background in ovals. How were you able to make the transition to road course racing?
A: It was definitely different. It was tough because most drivers that come out of quarter midgets don’t go into the sports cars or road racing route. A lot of them will stay actually on the dirt racing side of motorsports. So, it was tough because there was not really a lot of people to go into the Spec Miata paddock and say, look, coming out of Quarter Midgets, how does this translate into sports car racing?
So, it definitely took a couple race weekends to kind of figure out what translated and what didn’t. I think the biggest thing that transitioned was just the overall mindset that you never really know what’s going to happen. I think the mindset of racing stays the same no matter what you’re in. Some of the car control was different compared to a 200-pound quarter midget to a 2,400-pound Spec Miata. The car control was different going from oval to road racing, a lot of the race craft changed a lot, but your mindset behind the wheel under the helmet really doesn’t change. You’re always looking for that mistake. You’re always studying that driver in front of you, so what you’re thinking behind the helmet definitely carries over, and how you’re trying to analyze cars in front of you that will stay with you all the way through whatever you’re doing in motorsports.
Q: What are you doing to prepare for the Prodigy 3 racing series, which is coming up this fall and winter?
A: I’ve been starting a more regular fitness program. I’ve been spending a lot of time on the sim. Unfortunately, the Radical SR1 isn’t on iRacing, but I’ve kind of been just running a bunch of different cars and a bunch of different tracks. For me, that’s a good way to going into a car or track that you don’t have a lot of experience on really either. The best way for the sim that has helped me is just to pick a random car, pick a different track, and learn it as fast as you can. That has really helped me develop as a driver and be able to learn tracks quickly and going into the Prodigy 3 championship later this year. I’m really looking forward to it and I think all the sim work that I’ve done has helped me a lot.
And also the Spec Miata just getting more seat time in the Spec Miata and now Spec MX-5 with Mazda Motorsport. It has helped me learn more about the race craft side of road racing. Obviously the driving style between a Miata and a downforce SR1 will be a little bit different, but oftentimes the race craft is relatively similar. So all that time and (Spec Miata) will definitely translate, and help me hopefully perform at a higher level this fall.
Q: Are you going to continue racing Spec Miata because the Prodigy won’t take up all of your time, so you’re still going to have plenty of time left to keep racing in other venues if you so choose. Are you going to keep up with Spec MX-5 and Spec Miata?
A: Yeah, so we are looking at a transition into Spec MX-5 next year, but I would definitely love to keep in a Spec Miata seat a couple times throughout the year. NASA is a great program and I would love to stay with NASA just learning from all the drivers.
Like I said before, you have drivers that are starting to get into it and you’re still learning the basics, but there’s also drivers that will race you as hard as they can and super aggressive, and you’re going to have your work cut out for you, especially in Spec Miata. So I would love to stay in a Spec Miata as much as I can next year. I think with the Mazda Motorsports program, we’re looking at a Spec MX-5 campaign again next year, but we’re definitely looking forward to hopefully staying in the Spec Miata seat, at least for a couple events in the coming years.
Q: What do you hope comes from all of this? What would you like the end result to be as a result of your induction into Prodigy 3?
A: I’m kind of going into the Prodigy 3 championship with kind of an open mindset and wherever the tournament or the series takes me, I’m going to go with it. If you told me a year ago I would’ve been a factory driver for Mazda Motorsports, I would’ve said you’re crazy. If you would’ve told me six months ago I would have a contract with Williams eSports, I wouldn’t have believed you at all. So, you never know where motorsports is going to take you.
I think my goal is to become a better driver at the end of this championship. I want to keep developing. Obviously, my talents that I have right now have gotten me to this point, but there’s always room for improvement, and I think I want to just continue to develop and learn this opportunity to work with Williams and Racing Prodigy in general.
Racing Prodigy has some incredible people with them, some of the best drivers, coaches, engineers in the industry, and I just want to learn from it and kind of be a sponge and take everything in and really perform at the highest level I can and just keep on going and see where the road takes us. I guess
Q: On that note, in a perfect world, where would you like your career to take you?
A: I think right now we’re kind of on the IMSA pipeline more to sports cars. I think the end goal, I guess the dream scenario would be running in the IMSA Weather Tech series with GTP, LMP2, GTD. But the truth is motorsports is such a cut-throat industry. The goal is to stay in the racing seat as long as we can. That’s kind of what our goal is and what we will continue to keep working toward. And Racing Prodigy has given me an opportunity to further my racing career, and I am looking forward to seeing whatever other opportunities Racing Prodigy brings about along with their own Prodigy 3 championship.
Q: Well, all of us in the NASA Nation will be rooting for you, and we all wish you the best of luck.
A: NASA has been great for us and it’s continued to develop me. So I know I said we’re transitioning into Spec MX-5, but I just wanted to put it out there that we are continuing to try to stay in Spec Miata with NASA as well. We want to continue to build the relationship with NASA as a company and NASA as an organization. And I would love to, even though we’re looking to run Spec MX-5 next year, we’re definitely not leaving NASA as a group and we’re trying to continue to stay in with NASA, especially in the Spec Miata side of things.
SN: All right, well good luck this season and we’ll talk to you guys again soon.
