Meet the Contender: Mark Drennan

Mark Drennan shares his Mazda Road to 24 story and racing down his dream.

"My dream started when I was a little kid," said Mark Drennan, one of nine finalists vying for the Mazda Road to 24 Shootout $100,000 scholarship. "I loved everything about racing: the beautiful cars, the iconic drivers, and the historic tracks that kept me glued to the TV as I watched my heroes. I spent countless hours recreating those scenes with my Hot Wheels toys before spending every quarter I earned mowing lawns down at the local arcades, dominating anyone who dared challenge me on 'Sprint' and 'Pole Position.'"

After college, Drennan became immersed with computer simulators where he first learned the art of nailing the perfect qualifying lap, and the craft needed to win races. For nearly a decade, he raced people online from around the world on Grand Prix Legends and iRacing. -