MARTINSVILLE, Va. (Oct. 21, 2024) - 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.
On Saturday, October 26, at 6pm ET, the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup field will take the green flag at Martinsville, introducing the spec series to a whole new audience of race fans. The 100-lap race is the opening act for the season finale of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
Similar to the regular season of Mazda MX-5 Cup, IMSA will have live coverage on their YouTube channel. Fans will hear some new, but familiar voices on the livestream calling this unique race.
Tony LaPorta was the MX-5 Cup announcer from 2017 – 2021 and is familiar with many of the racers and teams involved in the series. Since then, he’s been on a whirlwind sprint car schedule. He’s called more than 100 nights of USAC racing and spent two years on the World of Outlaws circuit. Most recently he’s been a member of the broadcast team for Kyle Larson and Brad Sweet’s new sprint car series, Kubota High Limit Racing.
“From 2017 to 2021, I enjoyed and frankly was honored to be a part of the Mazda MX-5 Cup series,” LaPorta said. “Whether it was working as the play-by-play announcer, series analyst, reporting from pitlane or announcing virtual MX-5 Cup races from a closet during COVID, I fell in love with the series. I’m once again honored and grateful to join back up with the series for this very exciting and one-of-a-kind event at Martinsville.”
Matt Yocum has a long history in motorsports broadcasting. His career spans three decades and includes NASCAR pit lane reporting for FOX, NBC, SPEED Channel and TNT to name just a few. He was ESPN’s resident NASCAR expert for several years, appearing on Sportscenter, RPM2Night and NASCAR2Day. Sportscar fans are well acquainted with Yocum’s voice because of his longtime TV work for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.
"To me, some of the most exciting racing period and certainly most consistent three-wide at the line for the win is the Whelen Mazda MX5 Cup series,” Yocum said. “Always have been a fan of the series, so it's an honor to be a part of the broadcast team for the first oval track race-- and at Martinsville too, what could be better?”
Set a reminder to jump on the IMSA YouTube channel, Saturday, October 26, at 6pm ET, for Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup’s debut oval race with $25,000 on offer for the winner.