2 June 2020 – The RicmoTech iRacing Global Mazda MX-5 Cup comes to a close this evening at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. In a series that has mirrored the close competition that is featured in the Battery Tender ® Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires ® in real life, there are three drivers that still remain in mathematical contention for the $1,500 championship prize.
Consistency has kept Matt Cresci (No. 59 Slipstream Performance) at the top of the point standings. Every driver behind him has had at least one bad race; Cresci has had none. After a win at Barber Motorsports Park to kick off the MX-5 eSeries, Cresci finished second at Circuit of the Americas and fourth at both Road America and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
“Laguna is my home track, so I may not need to practice as much,” Cresci said. “I have lots of seat time there and I work there as well for racing schools. There will be guys racing who haven’t done as well in the championship as they would have liked, so you’ll definitely see people going for podium finishes. It’ll come down to me managing my points compared to everyone else still in it. I can guarantee it’s far from over.
“There’s a risky brake zone into the Corkscrew, so I think we’ll see some drama there,” Cresci added. “For me it’s about racing clean and keeping up with Brian [Lockwood].”
Lockwood (No. 43 Sick Sideways Racing) was a favorite to claim the title in this inaugural MX-5 eSeries, but a penalty at Barber and contact at Road America have held him back. He enters the finale seven points behind Cresci. If Lockwood wins at WeatherTech Raceway, he’ll need Cresci to finish third or worse to win the Championship. If Lockwood takes the win and the two bonus points for pole and fastest race lap, Cresci can finish second and Lockwood will still overtake him.
Not that second doesn’t come with its own privileges: $1,000 goes to the championship runner up.
Selin Rollan (No. 87 eSelin Motorsports) is the last driver with a mathematical chance to take the championship. Trailing Lockwood by 19 points, even if Rollan were to win the race and take both bonus points, he’d still need Lockwood and Cresci to finish outside the top 10. Rollan may be too busy hanging onto to the final prize paying spot to worry about Lockwood and Cresci: Harry Voight (No. 21 Slipstream Performance), Michael Carter (No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises) and Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance) are all within striking distance to claim the $500 prize for third.
The final round of the RicmoTech iRacing Global Mazda MX-5 Cup begins at 8 p.m. ET and will be streamed live on the Mazda USA Facebook page.
The next phase of the MX-5 eSeries, the RicmoTech Global Mazda MX-5 World Cup, which takes drivers to six of the planet’s most challenging courses, begins next week, June 9.