With lap after lap of side-by-side racing for the lead, a late race green-white-checkered shootout for victory, and a close margin of victory, the first-ever Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race on an oval lived up to the hype at Martinsville Speedway. Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) took home $25,000 and a Martinsville clock at the end of the 105-lap exhibition race.

After 19 seasons of staging races on some of the best road and street circuits in North America, the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race at Martinsville Speedway will be unlike any MX-5 Cup race before it. For its first oval race, the series is adopting some of the traditional short track oval traditions. What will that look like?

The time has finally come for the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin to take on Martinsville Speedway. The Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 will see the series racing on an oval for the very first time, with more than $60,000 in prize money on the line at the historic NASCAR facility.

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (Oct. 23, 2024) – McCumbee McAleer Racing (MMR) is set to make history this weekend as the Mazda MX-5 Cup takes on its first-ever oval race at Virginia’s iconic Martinsville Speedway. The race, part of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin, will feature six MMR entries for the much-anticipated 100-lap event.

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.