Driver: John P. Salerno III
Co-driver: Evan McCutcheon
Car: 1994 Mazda Miata
Division: Targa 2
Country: United States
Road racers rev up to Race the Rock
An IMSA sportscar racer and a former motocrosser have teamed up to take on Targa Newfoundland for the first time.
John Salerno is a current IMSA driver racing for JTR Motorsports Engineering as a rookie in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Series. John had a late start to racing in 2024 at the age of 20. He got his start in Spec Miata thanks to MBM Performance based out of New Hampshire, where he met Evan McCutcheon.
Evan, co-owner of MBM, has been John’s crew chief and chassis engineer since day one. The two became very close as they travelled throughout the country racing Spec Miata. Evan has been an essential part in helping develop John as a racing driver, along with Grant Barron, head engineer of MBM Performance. Now in 2026, it is both MBM Performance and John Salerno’s final full year in Spec Miata, where they are chasing down a national championship.
Evan, a retired motocross racer, has always wanted to race himself but unfortunately never had the time due to running MBM Performance and operating an entirely unrelated engineering business.
John has had interest in running Targa Newfoundland since he began his motorsports career due to reasons that need no explanation. John just could never find the right co-driver. When John pitched the idea to Evan, the two immediately added it to their racing calendar.
The two plan to win their class using just an NA Spec Miata with some MBM Performance magic. Having a chassis engineer and IMSA driver in the same car should be a recipe for success.
They summed up their approach to Targa this way, “As long as we keep her out of a house, we will be happy.”
The car being used – a 1994 Mazda Miata – was the first car John ever raced in, an old MBM Performance car that was sold and bought back by Evan and John.
Beyond the racetrack, Salerno brings an extensive background in high-performance boating. He has logged over 1,500 hours operating various mono-hull offshore powerboats and served as captain of the National Powerboat Association’s NYC Poker Run Pace Boat in both 2022 and 2023. Holding a U.S. Coast Guard Limited Master’s License, Salerno has successfully turned his passion for performance boating into a business. Targa Newfoundland is held on an island but hopefully he won’t have to put his boating skills to the test.
The pair would like to thank Mazda Motorsports, MBM Performance, Diamond Turning Innovations, Cannonball Storage, and The National Powerboat Association for their support.
Follow the team on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/johnsalernomotorsports?igsh=aGc5OXloNXJ1Z2pm&utm_source=qr
https://www.instagram.com/mbm.performance?igsh=MTZ6cWVnc3RvYjNlbw==