Round Five of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin featured a spectacular one-lap dash to the finish line at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Saturday. Reigning series champion Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) held off two of his teammates to take his first victory of the year by 0.079-second.

Rounds Five and Six of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin are shaping up to become a pivotal point in the 2024 season. With a few key names missing from the WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca entry list, it’s possible for other championship contenders to bank a healthy amount of points.

If you’ve followed the ‘IMSA Drivers Reacting to MX-5 Cup Highlights’ video series, you may have noticed that former IndyCar driver and NBC Sports commentator James Hinchcliffe has a clear favorite when it comes to Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin races: Jared Thomas.

Continuing its tradition of races ending with miniscule margins of victory, the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin provided a photo finish at Sebring International Raceway once again on Friday. Rookie and Mazda Shootout Scholarship Winner Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing) beat Connor Zilisch (No. 72 BSI Racing) to the timing stripe by 0.004-second.

Tyler Gonzalez (No. 57 Saito Motorsports) held off three formidable opponents at Sebring International Raceway to take his first Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race win of the season. Gonzalez made a last lap pass and kept three charging drivers behind in a mad dash from the final turn to the checkered flag, winning by 0.079-second.