Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup At Daytona - First Two Races In USA Based Motorsports 2024 Season

The first professional race cars of the season to hit the Daytona road course track in anger for 2024. Image Credit: IMSA Video (2024)

Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup At Daytona - First Two Races In USA Based Motorsports 2024 Season

Well. here we go, and leave it to the newly Whelen sponsored Mazda MX-5 Cup entry ladder into the higher levels of IMSA Sportscar series season racing, to open up the season in typical, exciting, door to door, close quarters action.

IMSA Report #1:

Wagner Leads Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Train Of Cars Across Daytona Finish Line

The absolute first race of the professional racing series was held on Thursday, January 25th and after a very tussled 45 minutes of green flag racing, 11 cars approached the finish line at Daytona International Speedway with a shot at winning the first event of the 2024 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin series season. When the pack crossed the line and the timing screens updated, it was Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing) with the win, 0.060-second ahead of Tyler Gonzalez (No. 57 Saito Motorsports).

 

In true Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup fashion, even in the final moments of the race, nobody could predict who the winner would be.

 

It took a few laps, but the pack of 28 cars that took the green flag eventually broke into two groups, one of them an 11-car train at the front. Six different drivers led laps during the race, and that’s only as they crossed start-finish, the strong draft on Daytona’s high banks caused the order to change numerous times between turns.

 

Wagner, who won the very first Mazda MX-5 Cup race at Daytona in 2021, qualified outside the top 10. His experience at the 3.56-mile roval told him that would not be a disadvantage.

 

“It would have before, but you do this enough times and you end up starting from every spot on the grid,” Wagner said. “I felt like 12th was at least in the hunt.”

 

The same could be said for Gonzalez who qualified 14th but was up to fourth by lap six.

 

“Last year I won from 18th, so qualifying wasn't an issue. I’d like to say it’s all skill, but it’s not really here at Daytona,” Gonzalez said. “You all have to work together.” 

In the early stages, BSI Racing teammates Connor Zilisch (No. 72 BSI Racing) and Selin Rollan (No. 87 BSI Racing/Rollan Racing) worked well together and held the front two spots, but it was only a matter of time before JTR Motorsports Engineering swooped in with Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) and Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering).

 

BSI team member and Mazda Shootout Scholarship winner Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing) came along to support Zilisch and Rollan, but it all allowed McCumbee McAleer Racing teammates Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) and Wagner to squeeze their way to the front.

 

The teamwork happening amongst the pack made for thrilling racing but left several cars with damaged rear bumpers from all the drafting. Rollan, Workman and Wagner all had loose bodywork potentially hurting their aerodynamic performance.

Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup on the Daytona banking, in full song and cooperation during Race 1 of a scheduled 14 race season over seven race weekends. Image Credit: IMSA (2024)

Exiting the Le Mans Chicane on the final lap, it was rookie Julian DaCosta (No. 78 BSI Racing) who led, but MX-5 Cup veterans know that is the last place you want to be to take the win. Two trains of cars split DaCosta as they headed toward the checkered flag.

 

With a nice push from Gonzalez, Wagner crossed the line first with Gonzalez second and Fletcher third.

 

“It is tough, because you don’t want to go too early, and you also don't want to get hung out if you go out too late,” Wagner said. “I think I did it with just the right amount of patience. We went two-wide in the bus stop! It was really hard to stay back and know you had the run coming to the line. You almost see the race disappear in front of you, and then all of a sudden coming out of (turn) four it comes back to you. It's an art to race here. Especially at the front coming to the line.”

 

Twice a MX-5 Cup winner at Daytona, Gonzalez couldn’t complain about a runner-up finish this time around.

 

“Gresham [Wagner] and I worked great for the race, but honestly congrats to him and his team,” said Gonzalez. “Thank you to my parents and thank you to Saito Motorsports. I couldn’t lose to a better person honestly, he’s one of the fastest guys out there.

“All I know is it was a mad dash and I just couldn’t get unhooked from Gresham’s bumper to pop out and I didn’t want to risk spinning and taking out the whole field,” Gonzalez said of the finish. “It was a great race, 12th to second—I can't be too mad about that.” 

 

Now in his sophomore season of MX-5 Cup, Fletcher was thrilled to get his first podium at the storied Daytona International Speedway, even if he spun after the finish line.

 

“It’s definitely an amazing feeling,” Fletcher said. “I can’t thank the MMR guys enough for the car they supplied me. After a tough rookie season, it is great to accomplish this. It is amazing to have teammates like I do. I ended up crossing the line backwards, but during the race I felt more secure and it was good to be in that lead pack. I was in a good spot and waited through the bus stop and then just shot my shot.” 

 

Jeansonne just barely held on to fourth place, crossing the finish line 0.003-second head of Zilisch.

 

There’s sure to be more of the same in the second half of the MX-5 Cup doubleheader at Daytona. Friday’s Round Two race will go green at 10:15am ET with live coverage on RACER.com.

IMSA Report #2:

Different day, same task for Race 2 of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup at Daytona race weekend. Image Credit: IMSA (2024)

Nate Cicero Wins Second Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Race At Daytona After Explosive Last Lap

Reigning Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin Rookie of the Year and former MX-5 Cup Shootout winner Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer) survived a last lap frenzy to win at Daytona International Speedway on Friday. He was closely followed across the finish line by his teammate Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) making it a McCumbee McAleer Racing 1-2.

 

The second Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup race at Daytona played out much like the first, as the draft was key once again ahead of a scrappy final lap.

 

Connor Zilisch (No. 72 BSI Racing) had an incredible opening lap, going from 11th to fourth. Two laps later, he was in the lead, at the front of an eight-car pack.

 

Not long after, the dangers of Daytona’s high banks were on display. Preston Pardus (No. 52 Rick Ware Racing), got loose in the draft and hit the wall exiting NASCAR Turn Four. He bounced back down the track to the infield and eventually came to a rest near Turn One. Nathan Nicholson (No. 56 JTR Motorsports Engineering) moved to avoid hitting Pardus, but that turned the car and sent him into the wall at start/finish.

 

The first and only full-course caution of the race was issued with Zilisch still leading the field.

 

After four laps behind the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup safety car, the green flag was back on display.

Zilisch continued to lead for several laps afterwards, but his strong defense came to a sad end when his car’s ABS failed. He locked up his brakes several times on a single lap before making his way to pit lane.

 

At the front, Tyler Gonzalez (No. 57 Saito Motorsport), Cicero and Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) were working together to stay up front.

 

On the final lap, Cicero led the field into Turn One followed by Thomas and Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing). Entering Turn Five a chain reaction that started at the back of the pack ended with Thomas and Workman spinning into the grass.

 

Cicero now had a healthy lead going into the Le Mans Chicane, a spot history says you do not want to be in on the final lap of a Mazda MX-5 race at Daytona. However, Cicero managed to build enough of a gap to prevent Gonzalez, Fletcher and Rollan from drafting by him before the checkered flag.

“I was just watching the mirror the whole time,” Cicero said. “They had a whole train coming but my spotter was saying I had a 10- or 12-car gap. I was just hoping we had enough. The MMR car was absolutely on wheels and the team swept the weekend.  To have the DNF yesterday after having such a strong start, we needed redemption today. It never gets old winning races, so I’m so happy to do this today. 

 

“I think there was a small crash behind me and so I ended up with a huge lead and just held on.”

 

Gonzalez crossed the line in second but was issued a 10-second penalty for an incident early in the race, bumping him to ninth in the final results.

 

That gave the runner-up spot to Fletcher, who got his second podium finish of the weekend.

 

“It is definitely nice to be consistent here with two podiums,” Fletcher said. “The car was on fire. I can’t thank the whole McCumbee McAleer team enough, all my sponsors: The Holster Store, Home Decor and More. It has been great. On the last lap, going into the Horseshoe I got hit from behind. Everyone kind of got plowed out of the way. Not sure who it was, but I felt it! For the rest of the season, hopefully I can stay up front and stay consistent and start making new drafting buddies.”

Finishing third, Rollan is still waiting to get that elusive Daytona win, but was happy with third after starting the final lap in 11th place.

 

“It seemed to be similar to yesterday,” Rollan said. “I tried to get as many positions as I could. I saw Jared [Thomas] spinning up top, so I just stayed tight. I got some pushes and I’m happy to be here getting the first podium for Rollan Racing and BSI.”

 

Thursday race winner Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing) finished fourth and rookie Noah Harmon (No. 99 Spark Performance) completed the top five.

 

Both MX-5 Cup races at Daytona are available to re-watch on the RACER YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@TheRacerChannel). 

 

Teams have plenty of time to regroup before Rounds 3 and 4 at Sebring International Raceway, March 13 – 16. For more information visit www.mx-5cup.com. 

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