With a 150 point advantage ahead of the last green flag of the season, it was Gresham Wagner’s (No. 5 Spark Performance) championship to lose as the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires race got underway at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on Friday. Despite not finishing on the podium for the first time this year, Wagner still finished high enough to secure his first championship with a run to sixth at the finish. Earning his first win of the season, Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) claimed the top spot on the final lap in another dramatic race finish.

Even for a series that has been recognized for delivering some of the best racing on the continent, Thursday’s Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires race delivered an extra measure of excitement as the top five finishers all crossed the line within 0.311-seconds of the winner.

The 2021 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires season comes to a close this weekend at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The point standings are so close, the $250,000 championship prize will likely come down to the last lap of the last race-- and the same can be said for the $80,000 rookie payout as well.

As a competitor in the Spec MX-5 Challenge, and current Mazda Motorsports USA Club Racing Factory driver, Alex Berg will join Hixon Motor Sports (HMS) at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Making his Pro Debut in the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires at the Motul Petit Le Mans event in Braselton, Georgia, from November 11 – 12. Berg will pilot a Hixon Motor Sports Mazda MX-5 Cup car and will be partnering with DAE Systems, Penn Elcom, and Jevitty.

What a place to have the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires season finale! The Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta is not only the finale for our series, but also for other premier IMSA series. All of the championships come down to this event, making Petit Le Mans one of the season’s highlight.