After 19 seasons of staging races on some of the best road and street circuits in North America, the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race at Martinsville Speedway will be unlike any MX-5 Cup race before it. For its first oval race, the series is adopting some of the traditional short track oval traditions. What will that look like?

The time has finally come for the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin to take on Martinsville Speedway. The Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 will see the series racing on an oval for the very first time, with more than $60,000 in prize money on the line at the historic NASCAR facility.

It’s officially race week for the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin, as competitors prepare for the series’ first ever oval race, which will be staged at Virginia’s Martinsville Speedway. Those who can’t witness this event in person will be able to watch live on IMSA’s YouTube channel with commentary from veteran announcers Tony LaPorta and Matt Yocum.

Race winner prize increases to $25,000 for first-ever Mazda MX-5 Cup oval event

The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin championship will celebrate its 20th season of racing in 2025 and will once again feature a stellar schedule of seven doubleheader events totaling 14 races across a mix of familiar road courses, rovals and street circuits.