For the first time since 2016 the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin turned qualifying laps at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) on Saturday. Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering) took provisional pole with a new qualifying lap record of 1:31.736. He will share the front row of the grid with Connor Zilisch (No. 72 BSI Racing) who qualified second by a mere .0031-seconds as the first 11 qualifiers were all within one second of Jeansonne’s record time.

The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin has not raced at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park since 2016 and things have changed quite a bit. Mazda’s signature spec series comes to CTMP with new cars, new tires, new prize money and plenty of new drivers.

Hugely successful race car also popular choice for track day

After finishing third in Saturday’s Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race, Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing) got the job done on Sunday by winning Round Eight. Wagner led a McCumbee McAleer Racing podium sweep that included Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) in second and Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing) in third.

Despite starting the year off with breakthrough victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Sebring 12 Hour there was still one win that eluded Connor Zilisch (No. 72 BSI Racing)-until today.