The time has lastly come for the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup offered by Michelin to tackle Martinsville Speedway. The Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 will see the collection racing on an oval for the very first time, with greater than $60,000 in prize cash on the road on the historic NASCAR facility.
Saturday, October 26, is the fruits of months of planning to deliver Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup racing to Martinsville Speedway. What began as a enjoyable concept has formally morphed into actuality and the Michelin rubber is about to fulfill the Paperclip.
A mixture of Mazda MX-5 Cup regulars and a few oval specialists make up the entry listing for this first-of-its-kind occasion. This consists of newly topped Mazda MX-5 Cup champion Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing) and two-time champion Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering), who had the prospect to expertise the observe within the open check at Martinsville in August. Wagner didn’t however remains to be aware of Martinsville.
“I wasn’t on the in-season check with all the opposite groups and drivers, however I used to be lucky sufficient to have the ability to drive within the first feasibility check at Martinsville over a yr in the past,” Wagner stated. “So, I do know what to anticipate, and I’m very fortunate to have Chad [McCumbee] and MMR, who clearly know what they’re doing in terms of going fast at an oval. Between the workforce and my MMR teammates that had been on the check, I do know they’ll have every thing sorted for me to be fast. I grew up round quick observe racing in Virginia and the primary time I ever examined a racecar was at Langley Speedway. So, despite the fact that my firsthand expertise is restricted, it’s not too international to me.”
All three Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout Scholarship recipients shall be on the grid at Martinsville. Each Nathan Nicholson (No. 56 Superior Autosports) and Sally Mott (No. 15 Spark Efficiency) turned laps on the August check, however 2024 MX-5 Cup Rookie of the 12 months Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing) didn’t.
Tom Lengthy (No. 8 McCumbee McAleer Racing) who’s often in race management for MX-5 Cup occasions is placing his driving swimsuit on at Martinsville. His skilled racing resume is so huge that followers won’t know Lengthy was the 2005 Miata Cup Champion, the precursor to MX-5 Cup.
A reputation that’s been lacking from the entry listing for some time, Selin Rollan (No 87 Rollan Racing/BSI Racing) returns to take a crack at Martinsville. It’s one thing he’s had his eye on ever because it was introduced.
“MX-5 Cup has been an enormous portion of my life for the final seven years so I couldn’t miss the chance to do the largest one-off occasion in collection historical past,” stated Rollan, who has moved his focus to his profession in aviation. “Additionally being a NASCAR fan for my complete life, Martinsville has been a bucket listing observe for me. I can not wait to make historical past and chase a clock!”
Of the brand new faces, a number of have Spec Miata expertise, together with Ruben Caceres Jr. (No. 01 Hendricks Motorsports), Bobby Gossett (No. 44 McCumbee McAleer Racing) and Martinsville native Capers Zentmeyer (No. 99 Spark Efficiency).
Will Mazda expertise or oval expertise be the winner at Martinsville? CARS Tour regulars Brandon Pierce (No. 02 McCumbee McAleer Racing) and Landen Lewis (No. 31 McCumbee McAleer Racing) are hoping their oval backgrounds are the important thing to successful on Saturday, as is ARCA and Whelen Modified driver Andy Jankowiak (No. 2 Hendricks Motorsports).
At stake is $25,000 and a Martinsville grandfather clock for the winner who must survive a 100-lap race with a stage break at lap 50. Yellow flag laps is not going to depend till after the stage break, which implies no person can lose a lap throughout the first half of the race. Prize cash shall be paid out to the highest three on the stage break, in addition to to the highest 10 finishers on the checkered flag.
All of it will likely be streamed stay on IMSA’s YouTube channel, with the inexperienced flag slated for 6pm ET.
