Mazda MX-5 Cup – Syndication Server

Inside Mazda MX-5 Cup: BSI Racing – new name, deep roots

If you follow Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin, you know the drivers on the team. The crew behind them will look very familiar, too, as will the team’s presence – and it’s a big one – in the paddock. The team has been there, it’s just the …

With the help of Shea Holbrook, Hixon Motor Sports grew into an MX-5 Cup powerhouse. And as it grew, Holbrook and her husband, Nick Chorley, needed more resources. That came with the purchase of longtime Mazda racing prep shop and car builder BSI Racing, which has been the operating partner ever since. But when Hixon needed a step back from motorsports, the team needed to continue, and has done so under the BSI banner.

“Whether we were continuing as a MX-5 Cup team was never a question,” explains Holbrook. “While we had to make some alterations on how we were going to logistically proceed, ultimately it was a team branding change.”

BSI’s biggest hurdle was needing a second transporter with under 40 days to the start of the season as it prepared to run nine cars in January’s season-opener at Daytona International Speedway, a short haul from the shop in Daytona Beach. The team’s drivers in 2024 include standouts Selin Rollan and Connor Zilisch (lead image, No. 72), as well as 2024 Mazda Motorsports scholarship driver Westin Workman (lead image, No. 13) and 2022 Mazda Women In Motorsports scholarship winner Heather Hadley.

“We are extremely loyal to the Mazda brand, and as long as they give us a platform to go racing, you will see our business here, you will see the BSI branding here,” Holbrook continues. “We feel like we do a good job at this. I know for a fact that we have some of the best people, if not the best people, across the board. Our focus is developing everyone on the team, and with that focus we’re able to help get the best out of everyone, from drivers to staff.

“I think any additional growth just starts to push our bandwidth on personnel, coaching and engineering staff,” she adds. “We do a really good job at the rate at which we already operate, but we’re kind of at our max.

“Pressure is a privilege and that comes in all forms. Operating a large team like ours sometimes feels like what a 24-hour team effort would be.”

The team name’s new for 2024, but BSI Racing’s roots in MX-5 Cup run deep.

Holbrook gives credit to people like BSI co-owner Chorley, driver coach and engineer Andrew Carbonell, and her full-time mechanics in the shop, Jack Schumacher and Kyle Kaminsky. It’s people like these, and others, that Holbrook cites as the reasons BSI delivers some of the best service in the paddock. But she also notes that there’s a chapter that hasn’t been finished in BSI’s story.

“We haven’t won a championship. So, you’ve got to pack your punches; you’ve got to back it up, right?” she says. “Hopefully, this year we’ll be able to, and definitely the goal this year is to win a championship. We have two great drivers for Rookie of the Year between Julian DaCosta and the scholarship winner, Westin Workman. So, I think our chances are high.”

Zilisch came close to a title in 2022, losing it by only 10 points to Jared Thomas.

As important as the competition is, and producing winning cars and drivers, it’s the camaraderie that lights Holbrook’s fire. The crew are more than employees, the drivers more than just customers.

“Synergy amongst our team is the most important part of it all for me. We’re all very much a family,” she proudly says. This sport and industry is a roller coaster of highs, lows and everything in between and at the end of the day, we all have to have each other’s backs. At the beginning of every season, I remind everyone that we’ll win and lose together and have tough days together. So, it’s important we take care of one another.”

BSI may be a new brand in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup paddock, but its roots in the series and in Mazda run deep.

* All Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin races are streamed live on RACER.com and archived on The RACER Channel on YouTube. Coming up next, it’s rounds 5 & 6 from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The action kicks off on Saturday, May 11, at 2:55pm ET, followed by the second race on Sunday, May 12, at 11:35am ET. To view the full schedule and learn more about the series, visit mx-5cup.com.

Inside Mazda MX-5 Cup: Workman getting the job done

At the end of the 2023 Mazda Scholarship Shootout, as Westin Workman waited for the announcement of a winner, the pressure was almost unbearable. So much so, he says, that he wouldn’t have wished that on anyone. When he heard his name as the overall scholarship winner, with its $110,000 prize to race in the 2024 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup, the relief was nearly overwhelming.

“I almost cried. I felt tears coming out of my eyes, but they never actually came out,” recalls Workman, who’d turned 19 only a couple of months before the Shootout. “It was super emotional for me – not only me, but for my dad, for my family and for everybody involved from the get-go.”

His success at the 2023 Scholarship Shootout was the culmination of several years on the edge of having a viable racing career.

“In 2022 I competed in the Mazda Scholarship Shootout, and I didn’t win it that year,” he explains. “We were kind of just stuck, you know. Like, what were we going to do now? I was still going to compete in karts, but were we still going to try to make our way in sports cars? I guess we were just kind of stuck, and then Mazda reached out.

“The support that Mazda gives the grassroots racers is second to none. So, we got a little bit of support to run Spec MX-5 again for 2023. I ended up doing very well. I had a few wins and finished second in the championship. It was really just a breakout year for me in sports cars, and I was able to start to prove what I could do. Then I got invited back for the Scholarship Shootout.”

Scholarship funds in hand, Workman (above) came up with the rest of the budget needed and secured a seat with BSi Racing, led by Shea Holbrooke, alongside another Scholarship winner in Connor Zilisch and veteran MX-5 Cup competitor Selin Rollan, among others.

“We were always connected with Shea, and she was a big advocate of mine. She was very supportive,” says Workman. “We had reached out to many teams on the grid, but given our existing relationship with Shea it was just a no-brainer to run with her.”

He admits that when learning of BSi’s plan to run nine cars, it gave him some pause.

“But now, after running nine cars at Daytona, it really ran super smoothly,” he concedes. “And it was actually a benefit, because after the race we’d all go in the trailer and review data and it was good to have the perspective of every driver, every car trying different setups.”

At last weekend’s Sebring International Raceway double-header (below, car No. 13), a Race 1 fifth-place finish for Workman followed by a win in Race 2 in only his fourth MX-5 Cup race start turned potential into stunning reality and vaulted him into the thick of the title battle. But rewind to January’s season-opener on the high banks and twisty infield of Daytona International Speedway’s road course, and that’s where Workman says he put a marker down.

The rookie, who lies second in points after his Sebring breakout, feels he fared better in those first two draft-filled races at Daytona than perhaps the results show, which included a seventh-place finish in Race 1.

“Being at Daytona with the huge drafts was something I’ve never done, and I’ve never really been a great pack racer. But MX-5 Cup is going to force me to get better,” he explains. “So, I was very happy to lead laps and gain some respect by showing that I can hang with these guys and show that I’m fast.”

ASPIRATIONAL SCENE
As Westin Workman’s career begins to take off, he’s pretty sure where he wants to land – namely a race seat in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s ultra-competitive GTD Pro class.

To that end, he’s relishing the opportunity to be a part of the IMSA paddock, which is the case for every round of the 2024 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup.

“Before I even got onto the track in my MX-5 Cup car, I couldn’t overlook the fact that it was happening during the Rolex 24 At Daytona weekend,” recalls Workman of the 2024 season-opening races. “Just that atmosphere, the amount of fans and things like that, was super, super cool. I’ve never raced at an event like that where there’s fans actually coming to watch me.”

On top of that, he adds, there’s the exposure to the other race teams across the paddock. Plus, the routine of being in a professional race environment and all that it entails is part of his and every other aspiring driver’s career training.

* All Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin races are streamed live on RACER.com and archived on The RACER Channel on YouTube. Coming up next, it’s rounds 5 & 6 from WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, May 10-12. To view the full schedule and learn more about the series, visit mx-5cup.com.

Mazda’s trio of scholarship winners have their eyes on bigger prizes

Westin Workman, Sally Mott and Nathan Nicholson have already won significant support from Mazda Motorsports’ MX-5 Cup Scholarship program. Now, as RACER’s Marshall Pruett discovers, their eyes are focused firmly on the bigger prizes that lie ahead …

Presented by

RACER’s Trackside Report at the 2024 Twelve Hours of Sebring is sponsored by Mazda Motorsports. Mazda supports racing and racers at every level from regional track days all the way to the IMSA WeatherTech Championship. At Mazda, racing isn’t just what they do; it’s who they are. click to learn more about Mazda Motorsports and the Mazda MX-5 Cup.

Mazda Scholarship racer Workman wins second MX-5 Cup race in photo finish

Continuing its tradition of races ending with miniscule margins of victory, the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin provided a photo finish at Sebring International Raceway once again on Friday. Rookie and Mazda Shootout Scholarship winner …

Workman started the 45-minute race on the outside of the front row but didn’t get the best start and fell out of the top five. He clawed his way back into the top three before the first of two full-course caution periods.

The opening stages of the race saw Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing), a point leader coming into Sebring, tangle with Thursday’s race winner Tyler Gonzalez (No. 57 Saito Motorsports Group). Gonzalez continued but Wagner fell to the back of the field.

Gonzalez didn’t continue for long, however. A mechanical issue brought his car to a stop in Turn 15 and a full-course caution was issued. Gonzalez was able to jump out and give his battery a quick fix before continuing on track and into the pits. He returned to the track but struggled and eventually went a lap down.

Returning to green flag racing, Zilisch led the field followed by Workman and Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering). Another full-course yellow came out one lap later to retrieve another stranded car, but after the second restart the race stayed green until the checkered flag.

Workman was able to get around Zilisch with only a few minutes remaining, but that wasn’t exactly where he wanted to be when the white flag came out.

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“The driving style here at Sebring is a little bit different than Daytona,” Workman said. “At Daytona you really don’t want to be leading. And here we have a really long back straight away and I didn’t think the lead was the best spot to be in, but I couldn’t check up to let a few cars by and get the draft down the back straight because there are too many cars in our front pack. So I just stayed in the lead.”

Coming into the final turn, Workman defended the inside from Zilisch, while Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) chose the outside line. There was contact between Zilisch and Workman at the apex, but it didn’t slow them down and they drag raced to the finish line.

Workman took his first Mazda MX-5 Cup win by 0.004s over Zilisch. It is the third-quickest finish in series history, right behind the 2021 MX-5 Cup race at Sebring that ended with a 0.001s finish.

“I’m just very fortunate and very thankful for all the opportunity that Mazda Motorsports has given me,” said Workman. “To win this race, it felt like redemption from Daytona where we just had some unfortunate situations on the last lap in both races. So, I’m very happy to get it done this weekend. Thank you to Mazda Motorsports and BSI Racing for a really fast car.”

Zilisch — who announced just prior to the Sebring race that he would make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at COTA — repeated his runner-up finish from the day before and although disappointed, he knew that it was a solid weekend.

“The race today honestly was a little bit less stressful,” said Zillich. “You know, I felt a lot more comfortable at the front with my teammate and it was just good to be up front the whole race. I knew that they were going to catch us, you just can’t pull away in this series. It was really hot out there.

“I’m glad he (Workman) got a win and got his first of his career in the series. It’s the first one is always special, so I’m happy for him and glad that we could get a 1-2 for BSI Racing, but two seconds in one weekend, not what I wanted to have! It’s not what we want, but it’s hard to be frustrated when we had the chance to win in both races.”

Finishing third was a welcome result for Fletcher, who earned a DNF in Thursday’s race.

“We definitely fell back at the start,” said Fletcher. “I thought I was personally falling off there and didn’t have the pace, but those cautions came out and I kind of got the motor temps down, tire temps down and went back hard after it and started moving up through the field.

“This is definitely an amazing start to the year with three podiums. I can’t thank the MMR guys enough, my mechanic Dalton, the Holster Store, my grandparents for bringing me out here. Everybody that’s kind of helped me out with this. It was an unfortunate day yesterday, but glad that we come back today.”

Thomas, the defending MX-5 Cup champion, finished fourth with his teammate Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering) right behind him in fifth.

Making his MX-5 Cup debut at Sebring, Jesse Love (No. 2 Hendricks Motorsports) made big strides in the second race, finishing 12th.

The MX-5 Cup field will have two months off before heading to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, Calif. Rounds 5 and 6 will take place May 10-12 with live streaming available on RACER.com and IMSA.tv.

RESULTS

Zilisch takes Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup pole with new qualifying record at Sebring

Setting a lap more than two tenths quicker than the existing Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin qualifying record, Connor Zilisch (No. 72 BSI Racing) captured the pole for Thursday’s race at Sebring International Raceway. He shares the …

Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup has not raced at Sebring since 2021. Zilisch wasn’t part of that race, but you wouldn’t know it by the qualifying flier he turned on Wednesday. The 2022 Mazda MX-5 Cup Rookie of the Year earned pole position with a lap of 2m25.408s, breaking the record of 2m25.666s set by Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing) in 2021.

“I’m glad that this BSI Racing team gave me a fast car to go out there and get the pole,” Zilisch said. “This track has been a lot of fun in an MX-5 Cup car. It’s my first time here in one of these so just figuring it out, learning. I have a lot of good teammates, Selin [Rollan] starts right behind me in the race so we should hopefully be able to stay out front and keep the team out front and have a good weekend. It’s good to qualify on pole and get the weekend started right.”

Gonzalez was only 0.9s shy of the pole time and will share the front row with Zilisch.

Former MX-5 Cup winner at Sebring, Selin Rollan (No. 87 BSI Racing) starts third.

Racing for the first time at Sebring on Michelin tires, the top three drivers were all under the existing qualifying lap record.

Round Three of the Mazda MX-5 Cup takes place Thursday, March 14 at 1:05pm ET with live streaming available on RACER.com and IMSA.tv.

ARCA champ Love to race in MX-5 Cup at Sebring

Jesse Love, driver of the No. 2 Whelen Engineering Chevrolet in the NASCAR Xfinity Series will join the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin grid for Rounds 3 and 4 at Sebring International Raceway. Mazda MX-5 Cup continues to attract …

Mazda MX-5 Cup continues to attract high-profile fans among accomplished professional drivers, with Love joining that list. The 2023 ARCA Menards Series champion was introduced to the series via shared sponsor Whelen Engineering and instantly wanted a chance to participate.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to compete at Sebring for the first time,” said Love. “Our season with the No. 2 Whelen Chevrolet has been off to a strong start, and with an off weekend early in the Xfinity Series schedule, it allowed for this to come together. I have driven a lot of different cars throughout my career, from sprint cars to stock cars, so this is another tool that I can use in the future.”

Love will drive the No. 2 Team Fox (the marketing arm of the Michael J. Fox Foundation) car entered by a new team, Hendricks Motorsports. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, the team is led by Kimberlee Hendricks, a second-generation racer. Hendricks operates a race-prep shop founded by her father Buddy Hendricks in 1989. She took over in 2014 and sees MX-5 Cup as an opportunity to expand the business.

“We are excited to announce our two-car program for the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin and confirming driver Jesse Love for our debut race at Sebring International Raceway,” Hendricks said. “It is a blessing of momentum and confidence. For many years we have been working diligently toward growing into a professional-level series. We now have the opportunity to combine our passion, dedication and race experience to build a top performing team. Thank you to our partners and everyone that has been involved in aiding us, to make this dream a reality. We look forward to the future possibilities as we expand this program!”

With the Xfinity Series off the weekend of March 16 – 17, Love has the opportunity to race MX-5 Cup as part of the celebrated 12 Hours of Sebring event week. The 3.741-mile circuit uses portions of Hendricks Field, a former WWII airstrip. It is famous for its rough track surface that gave birth to the slogan ‘respect the bumps.’

“The level of interest in Mazda MX-5 Cup from prominent drivers across all racing disciplines is incredible,” Mazda Motorsports Senior Manager Jonathan Applegate said. “It proves we’re doing something amazing in this sport, with just the right mix of driving skill and fun.

“I’m also excited to welcome a new team to the MX-5 Cup paddock led by a woman, Kimmie Hendricks. That makes two female-led teams in our series, with the other being BSI Racing and Shea Holbrook.”

Love will have two practice sessions on Wednesday, March 13, before qualifying the same day. Race 1 takes place on Thursday, March 14 at 1:05pm ET. Race 2 is scheduled for 11:15am ET on Friday, March 15. Both races will be streamed live on RACER.com and IMSA.tv.

Inside Mazda MX-5 Cup: Jeremy Fletcher’s sophomore surge

Jeremy Fletcher’s rookie year was probably not quite what he expected. A few top-10 finishes, but not remarkable by any means. However, come the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin’s 2024 season opener, Fletcher made a statement that he had …

With a third- and a second-place finish in Daytona International Speedway’s January curtain raiser, Fletcher heads into Rounds 3 and 4 at Sebring International Raceway, March 14-15, tied for the points lead with McCumbee McAleer Racing teammate Gresham Wagner.

A different team, new teammates and a renewed focus for his sophomore MX-5 Cup season have all moved 17-year-old Fletcher’s program forward.

After a long time in karting with about a dozen national-level championships followed by a brief stint in Spec Miata, Fletcher started his MX-5 Cup career with Copeland Racing. But Copeland is no longer competing in the series, and Fletcher switched to McCumbee McAleer Racing. That move, and being around other talented drivers, has made a big difference.

“The move definitely had a positive impact, both driving-wise and surrounding myself with teammates that are consistently at the front,” says Fletcher. “Working with Stevan and Stuart McAleer, Chad McCumbee and the whole team creates an atmosphere that is just amazing. And working with drivers like Nate Cicero, Gresham Wagner and John Jodoin on track, I feel like it has made it a more positive place for me to be at the race track.”

That wasn’t the only step that he took to increase his competitiveness.

“I’m definitely starting to work on myself personally,” he adds, “doing some training, going to the gym more actively and trying to be the best I can be when I show up. Plus getting as much testing and practice as I can.”

Fletcher (below) is also fortunate that the first two MX-5 Cup weekends are at tracks he knows well, Daytona and Sebring.

From St. Cloud, Fla., about equidistant to both venues, he’s raced and tested at each of them multiple times. The grandson, son and nephew of motocross racers, his grandfather founded the Ocala Gran Prix kart track, which helped set Jeremy on his path. The potential for Mazda scholarship money led him to MX-5 Cup, although it probably didn’t hurt that 2022 Rookie of the Year Connor Zilisch was his teammate in karting years ago. Now he has his sights set on sports car endurance racing. Being in the IMSA paddock is a means to that end, he says.

“It’s definitely great to be surrounded by all the IMSA teams. And it also lets you, I would say, explore your options a bit with who you could run with, or what your dreams may be,” he explains. “You can talk to those people and figure yourself out and what you want to race in the future.”

He notes that MX-5 Cup has been a great training ground. The competitiveness of the series and the closeness of the competition hones and fast-tracks a driver’s abilities.

“If you don’t have the racecraft, you’re not really going to be up there,” he says. “The field is so tight — and especially with the draft at a place like Daytona — that you have to use quite a bit of strategy. And even if you really aren’t driving that great, or you have some problems, you can still be there strategically as long as you’re kind of controlling the field. If you get the racecraft good enough, then you can run up front even if you don’t have the best car or best pace.”

He’s learned a thing or two by watching drivers like Zilisch and Wagner, but the one thing he feels has made a big difference coming into this season is that to win, he knows he’s got to be more assertive on track.

“Not get pushed around,” he says of the key to his newfound podium abilities. “I feel coming into Daytona I was a lot more abrupt, a lot more decisive — like, I would make a move and make sure it stuck and make sure the guys knew I was out there. Last year I was kind of nervous to make a move, or not make somebody so happy with a move I made. I feel like that would always put me in a bad spot, not going for the opening.”

That newly-found assertiveness certainly paid off at Daytona. Next up, Fletcher heads to Sebring looking to maintain his early-season momentum on the fast, but bumpy runways and turns of the classic Florida road course.

All Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin races are streamed live on RACER.com and archived on The RACER Channel on YouTube. Coming up next, it’s the March 14-15 double-header at Sebring International Raceway. To view the full schedule and learn more about the series, visit mx-5cup.com.

Cicero wins second Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup race at Daytona after explosive last lap

Reigning Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin Rookie of the Year and former MX-5 Cup Shootout winner Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer) survived a last lap frenzy to win at Daytona International Speedway on Friday. He was closely followed across the finish line by his teammate Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) making it a McCumbee McAleer Racing 1-2.

The second Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup race at Daytona played out much like the first, as the draft was key once again ahead of a scrappy final lap.

Watch the full replay:

Connor Zilisch (No. 72 BSI Racing) had an incredible opening lap, going from 11th to fourth. Two laps later, he was in the lead, at the front of an eight-car pack.

Not long after, the dangers of Daytona’s high banks were on display. Preston Pardus (No. 52 Rick Ware Racing), got loose in the draft and hit the wall exiting NASCAR Turn 4. He bounced back down the track to the infield and eventually came to a rest near Turn 1. Nathan Nicholson (No. 56 JTR Motorsports Engineering) moved to avoid hitting Pardus, but that turned the car and sent him into the wall at start/finish.

The first and only full-course caution of the race was issued with Zilisch still leading the field. After four laps behind the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup safety car, the green flag was back on display.

Zilisch continued to lead for several laps afterwards, but his strong defense came to a sad end when his car’s ABS failed. He locked up his brakes several times on a single lap before making his way to pit lane.

At the front, Tyler Gonzalez (No. 57 Saito Motorsport), Cicero and Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) were working together to stay up front.

On the final lap, Cicero led the field into Turn 1 followed by Thomas and Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing). Entering Turn 5 a chain reaction that started at the back of the pack ended with Thomas and Workman spinning into the grass.

Cicero now had a healthy lead going into the Le Mans chicane, a spot history says you do not want to be in on the final lap of a Mazda MX-5 race at Daytona. However, Cicero managed to build enough of a gap to prevent Gonzalez, Fletcher and Rollan from drafting by him before the checkered flag.

“I was just watching the mirror the whole time,” Cicero said. “They had a whole train coming but my spotter was saying I had a 10- or 12-car gap. I was just hoping we had enough. The MMR car was absolutely on wheels and the team swept the weekend. To have the DNF yesterday after having such a strong start, we needed redemption today. It never gets old winning races, so I’m so happy to do this today.

“I think there was a small crash behind me and so I ended up with a huge lead and just held on.”

Gonzalez crossed the line in second but was issued a 10-second penalty for an incident early in the race, bumping him to ninth in the final results. That gave the runner-up spot to Fletcher, who got his second podium finish of the weekend.

“It is definitely nice to be consistent here with two podiums,” Fletcher said. “The car was on fire. I can’t thank the whole McCumbee McAleer team enough, all my sponsors: The Holster Store, Home Decor and More. It has been great. On the last lap, going into the Horseshoe I got hit from behind. Everyone kind of got plowed out of the way. Not sure who it was, but I felt it! For the rest of the season, hopefully I can stay up front and stay consistent and start making new drafting buddies.”

Finishing third, Rollan is still waiting to get that elusive Daytona win, but was happy with third after starting the final lap in 11th place.

“It seemed to be similar to yesterday,” Rollan said. “I tried to get as many positions as I could. I saw Jared [Thomas] spinning up top, so I just stayed tight. I got some pushes and I’m happy to be here getting the first podium for Rollan Racing and BSI.”

Thursday race winner Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing) finished fourth and rookie Noah Harmon (No. 99 Spark Performance) completed the top five.

Both MX-5 Cup races at Daytona are available to re-watch on The RACER Channel at YouTube.

Teams have plenty of time to regroup before Rounds 3 and 4 at Sebring International Raceway, March 13-16. For more information visit www.mx-5cup.com.

Wagner leads MX-5 Cup train across Daytona finish line

After 45 minutes of green-flag racing, 11 cars approached the finish line at Daytona International Speedway with a shot at winning the first event of the 2024 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin series season. When the pack crossed the line and the timing screens updated, it was Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing) with the win, 0.06s ahead of Tyler Gonzalez (No. 57 Saito Motorsports).

In true Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup fashion, even in the final moments of the race, nobody could predict who the winner would be.

It took a few laps, but the pack of 28 cars that took the green flag eventually broke into two groups, one of them an 11-car train at the front. Six different drivers led laps during the race, and that’s only as they crossed start-finish, the strong draft on Daytona’s high banks caused the order to change numerous times between turns.

Wagner, who won the very first Mazda MX-5 Cup race at Daytona in 2021, qualified outside the top 10. His experience at the 3.56-mile roval told him that would not be a disadvantage.

“It would have before, but you do this enough times and you end up starting from every spot on the grid,” Wagner said. “I felt like 12th was at least in the hunt.”

The same could be said for Gonzalez who qualified 14th but was up to fourth by lap six.

“Last year I won from 18th, so qualifying wasn’t an issue. I’d like to say it’s all skill, but it’s not really here at Daytona,” Gonzalez said. “You all have to work together.”

In the early stages, BSI Racing teammates Connor Zilisch (No. 72 BSI Racing) and Selin Rollan (No. 87 BSI Racing/Rollan Racing) worked well together and held the front two spots, but it was only a matter of time before JTR Motorsports Engineering swooped in with Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) and Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering).

BSI team member and Mazda Shootout Scholarship winner Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing) came along to support Zilisch and Rollan, but it all allowed McCumbee McAleer Racing teammates Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) and Wagner to squeeze their way to the front.

The teamwork happening amongst the pack made for thrilling racing but left several cars with damaged rear bumpers from all the drafting. Rollan, Workman and Wagner all had loose bodywork potentially hurting their aerodynamic performance.

Exiting the Le Mans chicane on the final lap, it was rookie Julian DaCosta (No. 78 BSI Racing) who led, but MX-5 Cup veterans know that is the last place you want to be to take the win. Two trains of cars split DaCosta as they headed toward the checkered flag.

With a nice push from Gonzalez, Wagner crossed the line first with Gonzalez second and Fletcher third.

“It is tough, because you don’t want to go too early, and you also don’t want to get hung out if you go out too late,” Wagner said. “I think I did it with just the right amount of patience. We went two-wide in the bus stop! It was really hard to stay back and know you had the run coming to the line. You almost see the race disappear in front of you, and then all of a sudden coming out of (Turn) 4 it comes back to you. It’s an art to race here. Especially at the front coming to the line.”

Twice a MX-5 Cup winner at Daytona, Gonzalez couldn’t complain about a runner-up finish this time around.

“Gresham [Wagner] and I worked great for the race, but honestly congrats to him and his team,” said Gonzalez. “Thank you to my parents and thank you to Saito Motorsports. I couldn’t lose to a better person honestly, he’s one of the fastest guys out there.

“All I know is it was a mad dash and I just couldn’t get unhooked from Gresham’s bumper to pop out and I didn’t want to risk spinning and taking out the whole field,” Gonzalez said of the finish. “It was a great race, 12th to second — I can’t be too mad about that.”

Now in his sophomore season of MX-5 Cup, Fletcher was thrilled to get his first podium at Daytona, even if he spun after the finish line.

“It’s definitely an amazing feeling,” Fletcher said. “I can’t thank the MMR guys enough for the car they supplied me. After a tough rookie season, it is great to accomplish this. It is amazing to have teammates like I do. I ended up crossing the line backwards, but during the race I felt more secure and it was good to be in that lead pack. I was in a good spot and waited through the bus stop and then just shot my shot.”

Jeansonne just barely held on to fourth place, crossing the finish line 0.003-second head of Zilisch.

There’s sure to be more of the same in the second half of the MX-5 Cup doubleheader at Daytona. Friday’s Round 2 will go green at 10:15am ET with live coverage on RACER.com.

Zilisch on pole for Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup season-opener

Former Rookie of the Year and recipient of the 2021 Mazda Shootout Scholarship, Connor Zilisch (No. 72 BSI Racing), qualified on pole for the first round of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin season. Zilisch is hoping to get his first …

Zilisch is racing in both the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup and in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the LMP2 category. He had to jump straight out of the LMP2 car and into his MX-5 to qualify.

“I was already sweating when I got in,” Zilisch said. “Thankfully I had a really good car from BSI Racing. I’m excited and happy for Shea [Holbrook] and Nick [Chorely] and Andrew [Carbonell] and everyone behind the team. We’ve got a lot of cars, but that doesn’t take away from the quality of cars that they bring. It means a lot to be racing for them. Even though I’m doing the 24, I still wanted to come back and race with the series I love. Thanks to Classic Mazda for coming on board. It’s one of my better-looking MX-5 Cup cars, I must say.

“I’m looking forward to the race. I’m hoping to finally get a win at Daytona. Hopefully I’ll walk out of this weekend with three wins and a Rolex.”

Zilisch had drafting help from his teammate Selin Rollan (No. 87 BSI Racing/Rollan Racing) to set a pole time of 2m08.347s. Rollan qualified on the outside of the first row.

Another former Mazda Shootout scholarship winner, Aaron Jeansonne, (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering) qualified third and will start alongside his teammate and reigning Mazda MX-5 Cup champion Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) who qualified fourth.

The first race of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin season kicks of Thursday, January 24, at 4:15pm ET with live streaming on RACER.com and IMSA.com/TV. Race 2 is slated for 10:15am ET on Friday, January 25.