DANVILLE, Va. (Aug. 19, 2024) - With only four races left on the 2024 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin schedule, things are about to take a turn for the dramatic. The top eight drivers in the standings are covered by less than 600 points, which is a small margin considering one can score a maximum of 380 points per race. Seasons past have shown that VIRginia International Raceway can make or break a driver’s championship dreams.
Leading the field coming into Rounds 11 and 12 is Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering). He is one of the drivers that saw his chances at a championship dissolve at VIR last year because of a mechanical issue in Race 1. While Jeansonne hasn’t been a podium fixture this season, he has been a consistent race finisher.
“At this point in the championship I think it’s more important than ever to put it (playing it safe) out of my mind,” Jeansonne said. “We’ve collected solid points all year, and leading the points going into the final four events is what we have worked for all season. Now, it’s time to go head to head with the top MX-5 drivers in the world, try to win races and secure the championship.”
Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing) is another driver who last year saw his hopes for a title fade at VIR. A mechanical issue forced him to pit in Race 1, giving him his worst finish of the season, then a last lap incident in Race 2 took him from first to 10th, nearly doubling his deficit to the championship leader.
A native of Williamsburg, Virginia, Wagner has reached the podium at VIR but has yet to score a MX-5 Cup win at his home track.
VIR was where Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) solidified his point lead last year en route to his second Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship.
Thomas goes from coast to coast this week, arriving at VIR from California fresh off taking part in the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion. Thomas was invited by Mazda to drive a 1991 Mazda RX-7 GTO from the Mazda Heritage Collection.
“I was super excited when Mazda invited me to drive a car from the Heritage Collection at the Rolex Reunion,” Thomas said. “To get the opportunity to drive one of them—I was blown out of the water. I guess these are the perks of being a two-time MX-5 Cup champion! Hopefully there will be more opportunities down the road to drive these cars again.”
Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing) is feeling good coming into VIR. He is only 30 points out of the championship lead and returns to the site of his first-ever Mazda MX-5 Cup win.
In contrast, his MMR teammate Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) arrives in Virginia still in search of his first MX-5 Cup race win. Fletcher has been on the podium multiple times, but not the top step. He even crossed the finish line first in Race 2 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, but a 10-second penalty for incident responsibility knocked him back to 15th. He is currently fourth in the championship points.
With an $80,000 check from Mazda going to the driver who claims the spot, there are currently three rookies sitting in the top ten in points. Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing) leads the way, sixth in the championship with two race wins to his credit (Sebring and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park). Nathan Nicholson (No. 56 Advanced Autosports) trails him by 220 points and Julian DaCosta (No. 78 JTR Motorsports Engineering), fresh off of his first MX-5 Cup podium is tenth in the championship.
Will the standings get a shakeup at VIR or will a clear leader emerge? Watch the livestream on the RACER YouTube channel or IMSA.tv, Saturday, August 24, at 6:05pm ET for Race 1 and Sunday, August 25, at 9:45am ET for Race 2.
Many MX-5 Cup teams and drivers won’t be done when the checkered flag falls on Sunday. That’s because they head to Martinsville Speedway for an open test. The test is to prepare for the recently announced exhibition race there, October 26, with the Whelen Modified Series. Martinsville is a one-hour drive from VIR. There will be no livestream or live timing available for this test.