MILLVILLE, NJ – If there’s one thing Max Stallone has learned in his rookie Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin season, it is that the draft – getting in it and staying in it – is one of the keys to success in the ultra-competitive championship.
The 19-year-old Austin, Texas native has had a rough start to the season, competing on the Wheels America Racing team with support from PT Autosport, but hopes to show his true form with six races remaining.
The 2025 Mazda MX-5 Cup scholarship winner heads to VIRginia International Raceway this weekend determined to take the lessons learned at a recent test at the track and translate them to a solid string of finishes.
“The test was a good shakedown, a good chance for me to really learn the track,” said Stallone. “We worked on some setup stuff, but track conditions always change so much from the test to the actual race weekend so it's a little difficult to perfectly dial something in. But the most important thing was that I got to drive the track in the Mazda MX-5 Cup car, so I know more about what to expect.”
The Mazda MX-5 Cup car experiences substantial aerodynamic drag because of the open cockpit. The cars also lack a great deal of downforce, so rookie drivers quickly find that the slipstream cuts drag significantly. Drafting can yield significant gains in lap time, and getting in the draft and staying in the draft could be a pivotal factor in setting the kind of qualifying time that would put Stallone among the leaders to start the pair of 45-minute races.
“In my opinion, VIR might be the most draft-centric track on the entire calendar,” said Stallone. “Cars draft on the front straight, the back straight, and we're flat out up the Esses, so in reality, you're drafting the whole way. The draft is insane on the three long straightaways. It’s going to be a huge factor in the kind of lap time you can set.
“So you have a choice,” continued Stallone, describing the intricate dance that is MX-5 Cup qualifying. “You either have to get out with a really good group of fast guys that want to work with you, or you have to perfectly gap it to some slow guys. It’s a very situational thing, and it's something you don’t experience at a test. By our calculations, the draft could mean as many as two seconds of lap time at VIR.
“Put it this way.” Stallone continued. “Even if you're driving as well as the leader but if you’re not in the draft, you’re two seconds back. Plus, you have to factor in the optimal timing on the tires, which really is the first five laps of qualifying. So it's not like you have the whole session to lollygag and find a good lap at the end. “Dance” is probably a good word. You need dance partners.”
The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin series will contest two 45-minute races at VIR as part of the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s Michelin GT Challenge. Race one takes the green flag Saturday at 5:45 p.m. ET, with race two Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Both races will be streamed live on the IMSA and Racer magazine YouTube channels.