Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup – Syndication Server

Inside Mazda MX-5 Cup: Enabler of dreams

When a company has been doing something so long, particularly when that something is not their core activity, then they must be doing it for good reason. The company in question here is Mazda, and the something is their driver scholarship program. …

The 2023 Mazda Scholarship Shootout at Carolina Motorsports Park marks Mazda’s 16th year of awarding a quarter-million dollars in funding to up-and-coming drivers who are making their way in a very expensive sport.

“The Scholarships are something that we hold closely to our hearts,” says Mazda Senior Manager of Motorsports Jonathan Applegate. “We consider ourselves an enabler of dreams. The Shootout is right in the middle of it and is really the golden thread that connects our grassroots programs through the MX-5 Cup and beyond.

“We see this as a pivotal point in a driver’s career,” he adds. “Motorsports is among the most expensive professional sports, which means there’s a high cost of entry barrier. So, we continue to create opportunities that help get aspiring drivers to the next level.”

Recent scholarship winners such as Connor Zilisch, who’s gone on to success not only in the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich, but also in the Trans Am series, show that the Mazda Scholarship program is intent on discovering and promoting talented drivers. Zilisch is just one example of many.

When it comes to running the Scholarship Shootout, Mazda assembles a varied team of judges, from driver coaches to media members, to ensure that all aspects of discovering driver talent are considered.

“There’s nothing magical about the selection process, but there is a lot of spirited conversation,” says Applegate of the deliberations among the judges that go on throughout the two days of the Shootout. “It comes down to understanding who these racers are, and they understanding who we are. I think that’s something that’s super critical in the evaluation process. The finalists should know who is investing time, energy and resources into them.

“Showing up at the Shootout knowing the key players, especially the judges and those that might have some professional race experience, is huge,” he adds. “Overall, there are a few key data points we focus on such as their pace on track as well as how they’re progressing. Just as important is how they’re communicating with the coaches, analyzing and receiving feedback, and then acting on it positively.

“We’re looking for progress, we’re looking for attitude, and on the other end is evaluating who is the most well rounded outside of the racecar. That includes displaying some sense of how the business of being a racing driver works and understanding that speed isn’t everything.”

The nature of the program means that Mazda Motorsports’ direct involvement with the Scholarship winners, and indeed all the participants, is limited. But the big picture view is much broader.

“The scholarship takes them to MX-5 Cup, which is our aspirational program. While we have nothing above that now – it’s never a matter of if; it’s a matter of when we will – we’ll continue to support that racer as much as we can beyond the first year of the scholarship,” Applegate concludes. “When they move on to another opportunity within the sport, we will embrace it as a win for our brand.”

WORKMAN WINS 2024 SCHOLARSHIP

When the 2024 Mazda Scholarship Shootout wrapped at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, S.C., the largest check was handed to Westin Workman (above), who now has a $110,000 leg-up on his 2024 racing season.

Scholarships valued at $75,000 were also awarded to Spec MX-5 ace Nathan Nicholson and, fresh off her MX-5 Cup debut in the Road Atlanta finale, Sally Mott.

“I won the Spec MX-5 Shootout and now to win the MX-5 Cup Shootout is amazing,” said Workman. “I knew I was in contention. In the middle of the (last) session, the track was getting pretty hot, so I slowed down and tried to cool the tires and the tow was kind of changingon the car, so it was a way to get my head in the right mindset and I set two more consistent laps. I don’t know if that was the deciding factor, but it helped me keep a level head.”

Nicholson was awarded the runner-up scholarship, while Mott (below) took the honor as the Woman In Motorsport Initiative winner.

* All Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich races are streamed live on RACER.com and archived on The RACER Channel on YouTube. The seven-event, 14-round 2024 season begins at Daytona International Speedway with a Jan. 25-26 double-header. To view the full schedule and learn more about the series, visit mx-5cup.com.

Workman wins MX-5 Cup Shootout and $110,000 scholarship from Mazda

Westin Workman has been named winner of the 16th annual shootout staged by Mazda featuring qualified, ambitious and motivated racers to find the best candidate to earn a significant career boost. After two days of driving, interviews and analyzing …

Westin Workman has been named winner of the 16th annual shootout staged by Mazda featuring qualified, ambitious and motivated racers to find the best candidate to earn a significant career boost.

After two days of driving, interviews and analyzing data at Carolina Motorsports Park, three drivers walked away with scholarships to get them into next year’s Mazda MX-5 Cup season. The largest check was handed to Workman, who now has a $110,000 leg-up on his 2024 season. Scholarships valued at $75,000 were also awarded to Nathan Nicholson and Sally Mott.

Workman is a true shootout pro, taking part in the 2020 and ’21 Spec MX-5 Shootout and then the MX-5 Cup Shootout in 2022 and this year. The judges were impressed with Workman’s consistency across all of his track sessions and with personality and attitude away from the track. As the winner of the shootout, Workman has earned a scholarship valued at $110,000 toward participating in the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup season.

“I feel amazing,” Workman said. “I’ve been a part of the Shootout since 2020 and continued on with Mazda because the support they give grassroots racers is really amazing. I won the Spec MX-5 Shootout and now to win the MX-5 Cup Shootout is amazing. I knew I was in contention. In middle of the (last) session, the track was getting pretty hot, so I slowed down and tried to cool the tires and the tow was kind of changing on the car, so it was a way to get my head in the right mindset and I set two more consistent laps. I don’t know if that was the deciding factor, but it helped me keep a level head.”

In his first Shootout appearance, Nicholson was selected as a runner-up and recipient of a scholarship valued at $75,000. After leading the regular season points but coming up short in this year’s Spec MX5 National Championship, Nicholson was thrilled just to be selected for the Shootout.

“There’s a difference in money between first and second, but not in opportunity or marketing value,” Nicholson said. “You’re getting backed by Mazda. They’ve helped me so much throughout the year. Coming into this year, this was my goal, to make it here. Mazda helped me the entire year and if you just follow their steps, you’ll get there.”

At each Shootout, a $75,000 scholarship is set aside for the best female driver as part of Mazda Motorsport’s Women in Motorsport Initiative. This year’s recipient, Mott, is fresh off of her MX-5 Cup debut in the 2023 season finale at Road Atlanta. The experience was invaluable.

“I feel pretty pumped,” Mott said. “It doesn’t feel real. I’m really excited and I can’t wait to go racing next season. It’s an honor. I think that the seat time at Road Atlanta helped me tremendously. Getting used to these cars is not an easy task and all the seat time I can get definitely helped. Go Mazda!”

This year’s judges were made up of former Mazda pro drivers Jonathan Bomarito and Tom Long, and 2021 MX-5 Cup Shootout winner and 2022 MX-5 Cup Rookie of the Year, Connor Zilisch.

“There was outstanding talent across the board,” said Mazda Motorsports Senior Manager Jonathan Applegate. Every single year we say this, but the talent gets deeper and deeper, better and better. I can find nothing bad to say about any of our candidates. Every single person that came here, to CMP, did their very best on the track, but really the interactions, the connections that we had away from the track and getting to know the person they are as a human being was phenomenal and proves we’re choosing the right people.”

For the first time, the Shootout was streamed live on RACER.com and hosted by MX-5 Cup series commentator Shea Adam. That archived coverage can be found HERE at The RACER Channel on YouTube.

The 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup season begins January 24-26 at Daytona International Speedway.

16th annual MX-5 Cup Shootout livestream

Continuing a nearly two-decade running tradition, Mazda Motorsports will once again stage a MX-5 Cup Shootout to help aspiring racers connect talent with opportunity in 2024. Nominees eligible for the 2023 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout have been named and are one step closer to a scholarship valued at $110,000. And you can stream every step of the process with RACER:

Wednesday – November 15

Stream #1 Sessions: 8:55am – 11:40am ET
Covering four MX-5 Cup sessions with interviews between each session

Stream #2 Sessions: 1:25pm – 4:10pm ET
Covering four MX-5 Cup sessions with interviews between each session

Thursday – November 16

Stream #3 Sessions: 7:55am – 10:40am ET
Covering four MX-5 Cup sessions with interviews between each session

Stream #4 Sessions: 12:15pm – 1:40pm ET
Covering two MX-5 Cup selected drivers’ sessions with interviews in-between each session

Stream #5 Celebrations: 3:00pm – 3:15pm ET
Reveal of the Shootout winner and celebrations

Click here to learn more about the Mazda MX-5 Cup series.

Finalists for 2023 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout revealed

Names of the 12 finalists set to compete in the 16th running of the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout have been revealed. The list features a number of familiar faces along with some promising bright new stars. After being selected as a nominee, drivers were …

After being selected as a nominee, drivers were asked to submit a racing resume with career highlights, a bio explaining why they are a great fit for Mazda and a video detailing their interest in MX-5 Cup, what makes them successful and what they do away from the track to support their racing career. A panel of racing professionals and Mazda Motorsports staff reviewed the videos before selecting 12 individuals to invite to the Shootout.

Drivers selected for 2023 Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout:

Alex Bertagnoli
Cam Ebben
Chase Jones
Hannah Greenemeier
Julian DaCosta
Laurin Brallier
Nathan Nicholson
Nathan Saxon
Noah Harmon
Taylor Ferns
Westin Workman
Wyatt Couch

These finalists will converge on Carolina Motorsports Park, November 15 – 16. There, each will be fitted to one of three Mazda MX-5 Cup cars prepared by Flis Performance. All drivers will have several timed lapping sessions around the track and debrief sessions with a driving coach afterwards.

“Mazda is committed to helping aspiring racers achieve their dream and the long history of the MX-5 Cup Shootout, which was first launched 2008, demonstrates that,” said Jonathan Applegate, Senior Manager, Mazda Motorsports. “It’s no secret that funding can play just as important of a role as talent when it comes to motorsports. If our shootout scholarship gives a driver the extra financial push they need to reach their goals, then we’ve accomplished a great thing.”

Lap times are not to be the sole determining factor in a winner; drivers will also be judged on their ability to understand data, improve over the course of the weekend, media savvy and general attitude and composure.

The winner of the Shootout will receive a scholarship valued at $110,000 to compete in the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup season. A runner-up will receive a $75,000 value scholarship and the best performing female driver will also receive a $75,000 scholarship.

Numerous drivers who have won the Shootout have gone on to become an MX-5 Cup Champion and collect the $250,000 prize that comes with it. That impressive list of successful Shootout graduates includes the most recent and first repeat champion in series history, Jared Thomas.

Inside Mazda MX-5 Cup: Jared Thomas, twice is nice

Winning an Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich championship is no easy feat. Winning two of them, much less two in a row, appeared impossible until Jared Thomas pulled off his second consecutive championship in 2023 (above). And while the first one was especially sweet, even though it wasn’t clear who won the title until well after the final race ended, this one was proof that what he and the JTR Motorsports Engineering team he launched in 2021, are doing is working.

“The first one was kind of that breakthrough moment, but the second one is also very gratifying,” Thomas explains. “It was just, really, a validation that it was more than luck the first year, to be able to come back and do it a second year. It just goes to show that the ton of effort that me and the rest of the team put in really pays off, and there’s a lot more than just luck that went into winning both championships. There’s a lot of hard work and skill put into it.”

Thomas came into the double-header finale at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta this year in a much more comfortable spot than in 2022. The first championship came down to 10 points between he and Connor Zilisch in a final race that saw Thomas have to claw his way back from contact to finish close enough to Zilisch. But the championship still wasn’t decided at the checker; it wasn’t until a post-race penalty was applied to a driver who’d finished between them that the championship was determined in Thomas’s favor.

This year, Thomas came into the final weekend with a more comfortable margin, and ended up 360 points ahead of Aaron Jeansonne – just a bit more than the points awarded for a race win.

“This year was definitely a little bit more relaxed, not as on-edge,” says Thomas. “We had a good season if you look at it as a whole. We had one bad weekend at the St. Pete opener; that was our mulligan for the year. We got it out of the system early and then just really worked on consistent podium finishes after that. Being consistently in the top five, I think that’s really what was able to win it for us.”

Thomas points to Road America, a track where he’d done well but never achieved victory, as a highlight of the season, thanks to a second-place finish in the first race and a win in the second.

Watkins Glen was notable for a different reason; in the second race, he got knocked back to eighth with only a few laps to go. He was able to claw back up to fourth place to preserve a top-five finish.

It was that kind of effort and perseverance that allowed Thomas to head into the finale with something of a buffer over title rival and fellow Mazda Motorsports scholarship winner Jeansonne.

Making the championship showdown something of an in-house affair, Jeansonne is Thomas’s teammate at JTR Motorsports Engineering. Jeansonne had something of a breakout year in 2023, scoring his first wins in the series and finishing second in the points to secure a JTR one-two. Of course, that meant Thomas (below, leading Jeansonne at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta) had to beat a teammate, customer and friend to claim the title.

“As a driver, that’s tough when you’re going up against your teammate like that, but there was a lot of teamwork that went into that, and he had a lot of great results this year,” says Thomas of Jeansonne. “Before we came into the season, before we even went to Daytona, we were preseason testing and we’re like, ‘You know what, let’s go out and race this thing to the end and hopefully it’s us one-two.’

“But as a team owner, having the top two cars in the championship was really kind of a proud moment for me and everybody here at JTR,” he adds, “because it just goes to show that we were able to provide that the best equipment out there to get the two top cars in the championship.”

Thomas plans to come back next year and expects to have seven or eight cars under the JTR tent in 2024. Tune in next season to see if he can become the first three-time Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich championship winner.

Mazda Miata MX5 racer and Bonneville land speed record holder goes up for bid on BaT to benefit The Piston Foundation

A 1999 Mazda Miata MX-5, which set a Bonneville Salt Flats G/GT class land speed record of 165.296 mph in 2011, and was also raced in the SCCA Spec Miata class, is the latest car donated to The Piston Foundation to go up for a charity auction on …

The auction begins on October 23, and ends on October 30, at bringatrailer.com, with 100 percent of the proceeds, including the buyer’s fee, going to The Piston Foundation scholarship program.

The two previously auctioned vehicles – a 1973 Datsun 240Z and a 1960 Willys Wagon – sold for a total of $154,240, creating scholarships for 27 aspiring technicians. The sale of the Miata will create several more scholarships for 2023.

Car owner and Piston Foundation Founders Club member Harvey Siegel, of Long Valley, New Jersey., donated his prized race car for this cause. “I am a big believer in chasing one’s dreams and, as such, I hope this contribution will help these kids pursue their car-fueled dreams the way I once did on the Bonneville Salt Flats,” he said.

An accomplished racer, Siegel is known for resurrecting VIRginia International Raceway and developing New Jersey Motorsports Park.

“We are thrilled to have received this donation from Harvey Siegel,” said Jeff Mason, President of The Piston Foundation. “The provenance of this car can’t be duplicated. It’s a piece of land speed history.”

Built by Ryan Pilla of Car Doctor Garage in Water Mill, New York, a successful Miata racer himself, “the car is top-notch and ready to keep racing,” added Mason.

Aptly named the 2160 (as in, “Going to-160-mph”), the Miata racer’s drivetrain, chassis and suspension had been modified to reach high speeds on the Salt Flats, with the naturally-aspirated Bonneville engine producing upwards of 290 horsepower, more than double the output of traditional Miata engines. The highly modified inline-four Bonneville engine was later replaced with a 1.8-liter powerplant as part of the the car’s conversion for Spec Miata competition.

Together with his son Luke, Siegel’s goal was to set a land speed record on their rookie attempt, with Luke in the driver’s seat. After an immense amount of engineering and preparation, the mission was accomplished. (Read the full story at https://pistonfoundation.org/blog/the-rookie-record/).

Recently, the Miata, in fully-restored Spec Miata configuration, was tested at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut, by NASCAR Xfinity Series racer Parker Kligerman, also a former Spec Miata Racer. “I love these Miatas,” he said of the car after driving it on the 1.5-mile race track and on LRP’s Autocross course. “They’re so nimble and llght, and that’s what makes them one of the most popular race cars in the world, and especially in the U.S.

“What’s great,” he continued, “is the buyer can either race it in Spec Miata or swap the engine and go for a new record at Bonneville.

“Thank you to The Piston Foundation and Lime Rock Park for supporting future automotive restoration technicians.”

The buyer will also receive the Bonneville engine, the aerodynamic wheel covers and other components used to set the “rookie” record. The Bonneville engine received fresh bearings, rings and gaskets in preparation for sale.

The Miata will be featured at MiataCon at Lime Rock Park this coming weekend, on October 27-28, just as the auction ends. More information may be found here.

14 races in seven doubleheader rounds for 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup

The 2024 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires schedule brings the spec series back to familiar favorites as well as high-profile IMSA events once again. The 14-round calendar is composed of seven doubleheader events across North …

The 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup season begins where it traditionally has for the past three years: Daytona International Raceway, as support of the Rolex 24 At Daytona, January 24-26.

For Rounds Three and Four, the series stays in Florida and joins the 12 Hours of Sebring ticket at Sebring International Raceway, March 13-15. It marks the return of MX-5 Cup to the historic venue, having last raced there in 2021 which produced one of the series’ most famous endings: a three-way photo finish with a 0.001-second margin of victory.

After taking the month of April off, the series travels across the country to Monterey, California and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, May 10-12.

Following a year’s hiatus, IMSA returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio and brings MX-5 Cup with it. Rounds Seven and Eight take place June 7-9.

For the first time since 2016, MX-5 Cup will race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park outside of Toronto, Canada. The series will head north of the border to the ultra-fast circuit formerly known as Mosport July 12-14.

In August, MX-5 Cup returns to VIRginia International Raceway. Rounds 11 and 12 will take place August 23- 25 in Alton, Virginia.

As has become tradition, the MX-5 Cup season ends at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, as part of IMSA’s Petit Le Mans season finale weekend. The final two races for the championship will take place October 9-11.

“The 2024 schedule is a balance of continuity and striving to be on the largest stages possible,” Mazda Motorsports Program Manager Jonathan Applegate said. “To have a spec series race at Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta is special and shows how popular the series has become.

“We’ve learned a lot about which tracks suit MX-5 Cup in terms of quality racing and putting on a good show, and we’ve taken that into consideration when creating the 2024 schedule as well.”

The 2024 season will mark the 19th season of Mazda MX-5 Cup competition.

Zilisch doubles up in Mazda MX-5 Cup at Road Atlanta

It was a day of repeats for the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires. Connor Zilisch (No. 72 Hixon Motor Sports) was a repeat winner at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta and Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) became the first repeat champion in Mazda MX-5 Cup history. Veteran racer Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports), finished second, with Max Opalski (No. 2 Copeland Motorsports) closing out a promising season with a run to third.

So consistent was Thomas this season, he only needed to finish the race to claim his second-consecutive Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship. While a fifth-place finish at Road Atlanta for Thomas certainly wasn’t his best race, it was more than enough to win the championship and the $250,000 prize on offer from Mazda.

“When you get the opportunity to come out here and race, you want to run as hard as you can,” Thomas said. “I learned from last year that you can’t be conservative at all. So as soon as I knew we were locked in, I kind of stepped it up a little bit, but I made a mistake in the race – though it was a good battle with Aaron [Jeansonne] there at the end. We were trying to catch the pack in front of us and we eventually did get there, but it was just a little too late. We were just hooked up right there pushing because we knew the only way to catch the pack in front of us was to push. It was a great run and all in all, a great year.”

With teammates Thomas and Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering) one-two in the drivers’ championship, JTR Motorsports Engineering had no trouble securing the Team Championship.

“I’m so proud of this entire team,” Thomas said. “Everybody’s put in a lot of hard work, a lot of long hours – and it’s also cool to have a one-two for the championship. That’s pretty impressive, I’m happy with that.”

Early in the 45-minute race, the top half of the field broke into two trains. Thomas led the second one and in the first group six drivers were playing musical chairs with the lead.

Zilisch and Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance) spent the most time in the lead, but Rollan, Robert Noaker (No. 13 Robert Noaker Racing), Tyler Gonzalez (No. 35 Saito Motorsports Group) and Opalski were always in the mix. With less than 10 minutes to go, Wagner started to pull away from the pack, but the others just needed to work together to draft right back to his bumper.

“When Gresham got himself a gap there, I knew we were going to be able to run him back down,” Zilisch said. “There was still enough time; in this series, those gaps don’t last for long. As long as you have a few guys towards the front that will work with you and push to get back up to the front, you’re usually able to catch up to a leader that’s kind of alone.”

Gonzalez was leading with three laps to go when Joe Rainey (No. 17 Robert Noaker Racing) made contact with the wall exiting Turn 12 and came to a stop near pit out. The leaders all had their teams communicating to them that a full-course yellow was about to come out. Knowing that if the safety car did come out, the race would end under yellow, the drivers sense of urgency escalated. Coming into Turn 10, Noaker, Gonzalez, Wagner and Zilisch went two-by-two. Contact was made, spinning Noaker around and forcing Gonzalez, Wagner and Zilisch to take evasive action.

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The incident allowed Rollan and Opalski to slip through and queue up behind Zilisch, who had taken the best escape route.

Race control determined the car was in a safe spot and did not issue a full-course yellow. With two laps to go, Zilisch led Rollan and Opalski and that’s how the race finished.

“When they started battling for a second, I had a little bit of stress so I’m just glad I could get back up to the lead and get myself a chance to win the race,” Zilisch said. It feels really good to get our second win of the weekend here at Road Atlanta and a one-two finish for Hixon Motor Sports with Selin Rollan. The team does such a good job setting up these cars and giving us the opportunity. We’ve got Andrew Carbonell coaching us now, making us better drivers. It really does take an army to come out here and do this kind of stuff and to have the success that we’ve had every time I’ve come out here and raced this series. It means a lot to me so I’m glad I could get the win for my team and end the year on a positive note.”

Teammates Zilisch and Rollan came across the finish line glued to each other, something that’s become fairly common for the two.

“This is great for Hixon Motor Sports,” Rollan said. “We did this last year, which was great. It’s another one-two for the team, I think this might be like our third or fourth. It’s a great feeling. Congrats to Connor – that kid is going places. Thanks, Hixon Motor Sports, thanks Austin Hatcher. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but I’m happy to end it on a high note. That was a crazy race, yesterday was a crazy race, but we brought home two good finishes so it’s a good way to end the year.”

Opalski was able to take advantage of the Turn 10 incident, but had to hold off Wagner and Gonzalez for two laps to take the final podium spot.

“That was super intense all race long,” Opalski said. “We made a little gap, which was nice, but I think my car started falling off and I made do with what I had and managed the best I could. So, I’m pretty happy with a P3 today. We were so close to a win all season; I hope I can come back and try again.

“The team told me there would most likely be a full-course caution, so I thought I was somewhat safe – they told me to just stay where I was and just make good laps, and we’d be good. But then the white flag came out and I had to lock in and finish the last lap.”

Wagner finished fourth on the track, but a post-race penalty for his involvement in the Turn 10 scuffle dropped him to 19th. That promoted Gonzalez to fourth and Thomas to fifth.

Rookie Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing) finished 10th, securing his Rookie of the Year Title and a nice $80,000 prize from Mazda.

All award winners will be honored Friday evening at the Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship Banquet.

All races from the 2023 season are available to watch on the RACER and IMSA YouTube channels.

Clever defense earns Zilisch Mazda MX-5 Cup win at Road Atlanta

A masterful last lap pass earned Connor Zilisch (No. 72 Hixon Motor Sports) the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires Round 13 win at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Thursday. Zilisch led Tyler Gonzalez (No. 35 Saito Motorsports …

A masterful last lap pass earned Connor Zilisch (No. 72 Hixon Motor Sports) the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires Round 13 win at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Thursday.

Zilisch led Tyler Gonzalez (No. 35 Saito Motorsports Group) across the finish line by just 0.144-second, while championship contender Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) finished third. The podium finish nearly guarantees Thomas a second Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship with one race remaining.

Following qualifying, the championship appeared to be swinging toward Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering) who scored pole and with it 10 bonus points to tighten the deficit to Thomas. Jeansonne defended the lead for the opening laps of the race but fell victim to the all-important draft and dropped to fourth. He had a difficult time recovering and continued to lose positions. Contact with another car nearly took him out of the top 10, but he soldiered on and finished seventh.

Meanwhile, at the front of the field, it was a four-car battle for the lead. Zilisch, Gonzalez, Thomas and Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motorsports) were locked together nose-to-tail and exchanged the lead frequently.

Zilisch started the final lap in the lead but came under attack from all sides on the back stretch. Just when it looked like Gonzalez and Thomas were going to get the better of him, Zilisch swung wide exiting Turn 10 and retook the lead cresting the hill into Turn 12.

Rollan finished third on track, but a 10-second penalty for contact earlier in the race dropped him to fourth in the official results. That gave the final podium spot to Thomas.

“Going into this weekend, I knew that there was a championship battle going on around me and it looks like Jared’s [Thomas] got that pretty much locked up,” Zilisch said. “So, going for race wins is the goal and I was able to get the win in race one.”

It is the third win of the season for Zilisch, who missed four races due to conflicts with other championships and is not in the running for the title.

“I had a really good Hixon Motor Sports car,” Zilisch said. “They always give me cars capable of winning and leave it in my hands to capitalize on that and do my job. I’m just thankful I was able to come back out here and get a win for my team. I wasn’t able to do the full season, unfortunately – I wish I could have raced for a championship this year, but circumstances didn’t allow that, but I’m grateful I could come out here and get some wins every now and then.”

Having run a partial season schedule, Gonzalez too is not in the hunt for a championship, so it was all about the win for him at Road Atlanta.

“At the end of the day, we’re here to race,” Gonzalez said. “Obviously, I don’t want to take anybody out or cost anybody points, but it was good, hard, fair racing, and that’s all we can do.

“It got a little dicey a couple of minutes in, but everyone kept it clean for the most part,” Gonzalez said of his return to the series. “It was a good battle in the last lap – I wasn’t really sure how it was going to play out, but I’m happy with the result. It’s a good return back.”

Despite being in a fight for the championship, Thomas had no plans to play it safe. He wanted the win.

“We knew with about 10 minutes left that the 87 (Rollan) car had a penalty and that would take him out of play,” Thomas said. “So from there, I just had to keep the 72 (Zilisch) and 87 separated – I knew that if I could do that, I’d have a good shot at the win. I felt pretty comfortable, so I went for it. You can’t get too conservative because that will get you into trouble too.”

Thomas came into the finale with a 290-point lead over Jeansonne. A third-place finish widens the gap to 340 points. As long as Thomas starts Friday’s race, he will be crowned the 2023 champion—the first repeat champion in series history—and take home the $250,000 prize from Mazda.

“I came into this season not worrying about points: just focusing on having fun and winning races – and ultimately, that’s what I think is the most fun,” Thomas said. “Every time you get an opportunity, you have to take it, because it’s too hard to win in this series. You don’t get that many opportunities, so you have to take it.”

Despite the 10-second penalty, Rollan was far enough ahead of the rest of the field to still be classified in fourth on the results sheet.

John Jodoin (No. 39 McCumbee McAleer Racing) secured another top five finish in his sophomore season and is surely knocking on the door of his first podium.

The Rookie of the Year chase became significantly closer as Thomas Annunziata (No. 10 Hixon Motor Sports) finished eighth, while Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing) had a spin mid-race and ended up finishing 18th. This shrunk Cicero’s lead over Annunziata down to 160 points as they enter the final race on Friday.

The 2023 Mazda MX-5 Cup season wraps up Friday, October 13, at 10:30am ET. The race livestream is available at RACER.com.

Jeansonne scores Mazda MX-5 Cup pole at Road Atlanta

Every point matters in the battle for the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires Championship. Aaron Jeansonne secured 10 bonus points at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta by earning pole position. That puts Jeansonne 10 points closer to …

Two red flags to retrieve stranded cars limited the amount of laps drivers were able to run in the 15-minute qualifying session. Jeansonne’s fifth lap ended up being the fastest of the session, a 1m36.635w. It was 0.026w faster than Selin Rollan (No. 87 Hixon Motor Sports) who will start second.

“Jared [Thomas] and I, both of our cars were really hooked up, just like they were in practice,” Jeansonne said. “We worked with Tyler Gonzalez (No. 35 Saito Motorsports Group) as well. We had a bit of a train going. It was a little messy with all the red flags and a bit of debris. I think we had the right train and had enough air to put a couple good laps together. We were in the right place at the right time.”

With pole position comes 10 bonus points and that trims Thomas’ lead in the points over teammate Jeansonne from 290 to 280.

“The 10 bonus points; I can use every bit of that,” Jeasonne said. “Jared [Thomas] has a good lead so the weekend is in his hands. I’m really proud that we’re one-two going into this thing and I wish him well and hope we have a couple of great races.”

The penultimate round of the 2023 Mazda MX-5 Cup is set to go green at 5:45pm ET Thursday. The race will be streamed live on RACER.com.