about-us

Flatout Motorsports Inc. founders (left to right) – Nick Leverone, Andy Bettencourt, and Steve Ulfelder

Flatout Motorsports Inc. founders Nick Leverone, Andy Bettencourt and Steve Ulfelder have run autocrosses at local airstrips, Grand-Am races at Daytona – and everything in between. Along the way, they’ve tried to give back by running local motorsports clubs, chairing the SCCA Solo 2 Nationals, and serving on competition boards.

First envisioned as a parts-and-service supplier for autocrossers, the company was retooled in 2004 as a Spec Miata rental company. Since then, we’ve continually expanded the products and services we offer, with a focus on roadracing, tuning, and general high-performance applications. We’ve also invested heavily in the people, tools and equipment that make us the premier Spec Miata and Improved Touring enterprise in the northeast. Whether you want a set of lug nuts, a Miata for a weekend, or a full pro racing endeavor, FOM can help.

Timeline and highlights

Here are some notable achievements and fast facts from our first 15 years:

1993: After their first Pro Solo in Jacksonville, Fla., Leverone, Bettencourt and Ulfelder launch Flatout as a resource for autocrossers.

1994-2000: Flatout becomes a nationally recognized autocross powerhouse as its founders score trophies, victories and points championships at SCCA Solo II Nationals, National Tours, and Pro Solos. The three mow down the competition in Neons, Sentra SE-Rs, Probe GTs, RX-7s, and just about everything else. Between them, Bettencourt and Leverone win SCCA’s coveted Stirling Moss Trophy three times.

2000-2001: The three partners shift their focus to SCCA Club Racing, building a series of Mazda RX-7s to drive in the competitive ITS class.

2002-2004: In his Flatout-built RX-7, Leverone wins the prestigious North Atlantic Roadracing Championship (NARRC) Runoffs three years in a row.

2004: The company begins specializing in Spec Miata rentals. We gain our first Pro Racing experience, campaigning a BMW in a handful of SCCA World Challenge Touring Cars events. This effort is chronicled in Grassroots Motorsportsmagazine.

2005: Flatout outgrows its headquarters, moves to a much bigger home in Bellingham, Mass. As demand grows for our services, we build second and third rental Miatas and begin building our own rollcages.

2006: We institute our Arrive & Drive program. It quickly becomes our most popular service. In his Flatout-built ITA Miata, Andy Bettencourt dominates the NARRC Runoffs and sets multiple track records. Flatout operates, transports and crews Grand-Am KONI Challenge Acura RSX Type S’s for Davis Motorsports, with Leverone one of the team drivers. Davis and Flatout help deliver Acura its first-ever Grand-Am victory at Phoenix.

2007: We purchase our Renegade toter home and five-car hauler, taking our service and comfort to a new level. Team drivers dominate SM and IT racing in the northeast, winning races, championships and NARRC Runoffs while setting track records virtually everywhere they go.

2008: Demand for A&D services continues to grow as we refine our data-gathering and -analysis. Racers are figuring out that by running with the strongest team in the northeast and studying their data with experts, they can improve their lap times dramatically. Flatout builds and campaigns a Grand-Am KONI Challenge Mazda MX-5. We outgrow another shop and move again!

2009: We outfit all our rental Miatas with DL-1 data-gathering systems. The company buys a dynamometer to better tune clients’ engines. More track records (Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, New Hampshire Motor Speedway) for Bettencourt and Leverone.

2011: Driving a Flatout-built Honda S2000, Ulfelder wins the North Atlantic Roadrace Championship Runoffs at Lime Rock.

2020: Leverone becomes an SCCA Runoffs champion, winning the T4 class at VIR.