June 9, 2026 — JTR Motorsports continued their strong 2026 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin campaign this past weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, earning a pair of podium finishes and showcasing the depth of their multi-car effort against one of the most competitive fields in sports car racing.
Race One saw team namesake Jared Thomas lead the charge for JTR Motorsports, battling at the front throughout the event before securing a second-place finish. Teammate Gresham Wagner completed a double podium result for the organization, crossing the line in third. John Salerno finished 16th, while Justin Gravett recorded an 18th-place result. Glen McGee followed closely behind in 19th. Michael O'Dell and Woody Heimann rounded out the team's Race One results in 28th and 29th, respectively.
Sunday's Race Two provided a different set of challenges for the JTR Motorsports stable. Gravett led the team's effort with a strong ninth-place finish, narrowly missing out on a top-five battle in the closing laps, and recorded one of his best finishes in Mazda competition in 2026. Salerno added another solid result in 11th, while O'Dell and Heimann crossed the finish line in 16th and 20th, respectively. Wagner finished 30th, McGee came home 33rd, and Thomas encountered difficulties that relegated him to a 35th-place finish after his podium run the day before.
Despite the mixed results across the weekend, JTR Motorsports once again demonstrated their ability to compete at the front while continuing to develop drivers throughout their extensive Mazda MX-5 Cup program.
"Mid-Ohio was definitely a weekend of highs and lows for our team," explained Dave Thomas. "To come away with a second-place finish and have another team driver right behind Jared on the podium in Race One was a great reward for all the hard work our crew has put in. Race Two didn't go the way we wanted, but that's part of racing. The encouraging thing is that we had speed across multiple cars all weekend. I'm proud of the effort from every driver and crew member, and we're looking forward to carrying that momentum into our next event."
JTR Motorsports will now shift its focus to Porsche Sprint Challenge competition at Virginia International Raceway, scheduled for June 19-21. The team will look to continue its successful season as it takes on one of North America's premier road courses.