A red flag in qualifying for Rounds Five and Six of the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires gave drivers little time to perfect a lap around the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg street circuit on Friday. At the checkered flag it was Michael Carter (No. 08 Carter Racing Enterprises) at the sharp point of the grid. He shares the front row with his championship rival Gresham Wagner (No. 5 Spark Performance).

The Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires is making waves in the motorsports world with its incredibly close racing, and this week the spectacle arrives at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. The concrete walls and compact schedule will test each team’s performance under pressure.

We saw some absolutely amazing racing and incredibly close finishes during the previous Idemitsu MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich® Tires double-header at Sebring International Raceway. In race one, the lead changes on the final lap were a great example of impressively clean yet tight racing, which is what we’ve become accustomed to in this series. The dramatic three-wide finish was the second-closest in series history, and the entire series has some of the closest racing to be found anywhere.

Artists, racers, and car enthusiasts have the opportunity to support Lemons of Love while designing this one-of-a-kind race car.

Following IMSA’s announcement of the cancellation of its event at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires can confirm it will remove the event from its 2021 schedule as well. The 2021 Mazda MX-5 Cup season remains a 14-round championship.