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.
For the fifth season in-a-row, the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup season will kick off at Daytona International Speedway as part of the Rolex 24 At Daytona event weekend. The roval configuration of the legendary speedway has rapidly developed into a must-watch event, producing some of the most thrilling finishes in series history.
Mazda MX-5 Cup stays in Florida for Rounds Three and Four as it joins the kickoff of the INDYCAR season on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida, February 28 – March 2.
After taking the month of April off, MX-5 Cup will rejoin INDYCAR at Barber Motorsports Park May 2 – 4. The series returns to the beautiful circuit outside Birmingham, Alabama, for the first time since 2019 for Rounds Five and Six.
Back with IMSA for Rounds Seven and Eight, the series heads to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, June 6 – 8. Rounds Nine and 10 take place north of the border at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, with the series’ only trip outside of the U.S. happening July 11 – 13 as part of the IMSA WeatherTech event.
August 22 – 24 MX-5 Cup returns to the rolling green hills of VIRginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia, for Rounds 11 and 12. As it has since 2021, the MX-5 Cup season will wrap up at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, October 8 – 11, during IMSA’s Petit Le Mans finale.
“The 2025 Mazda MX-5 Cup schedule has a great combination of consistency and novelty,” Mazda Motorsports Senior Program Manager Jonathan Applegate said. “We couldn’t imagine starting our season anywhere else than Daytona, where the MX-5 Cup races have become an iconic part of the Rolex 24 event and the sentiment is similar for closing the championship at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta during Petit Le Mans. Returning to St. Petersburg and Barber Motorsports Park gives the 2024 season a nice refresh.”
Having had the championship once again come down to the final race of the season this year with Gresham Wagner claiming the title and $250,000 prize from Mazda, the 2024 season still has one more MX-5 Cup race left to go; a non-points race at Martinsville Speedway on October 26. The series’ first-ever oval race will be streamed live on IMSA’s YouTube channel.
For more info on Mazda MX-5 Cup and the 2025 season visit www.mx-5cup.com.