The heat isn’t just rising outdoors, it’s also getting turned up in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin with six rounds to go. The championship and $250,000 that goes with it is still anybody’s to win or lose as the series heads to Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (CTMP) for Rounds 9 and 10 this weekend as part of the annual IMSA visit to the legendary circuit staged North of the border.
CTMP is a favorite among many drivers because of its fast corners that require plenty of bravery. It’s a track where even a small mistake can end your race.
Championship point leader Nathan Nicholson (No. 56 Advanced Autosports) knows all too well how cruel CTMP can be. Last year he was fighting in the lead pack of both races, but ended the weekend with finishes of 21st and 17th. It was a devastating blow to his Rookie of the Year hopes.
Though he has yet to score his first Mazda MX-5 Cup race win, consistency has been the name of the game for Nicholson, who podiumed in both races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course last month. A quick glance at the point standings reveals Nicholson to be the only driver who hasn’t had a ‘bad’ race, with all of his races earning him at least triple-digit points.
“I’m feeling really good going into CTMP as the championship leader,” Nicholson said. “There’s no better position to be in. I have a strong Advanced Autosports team behind me with Ben Merwin, Joncarlo Schooler and my dad, so we’ve just got to keep doing what we’re doing. I’m looking forward to going into CTMP with a good mindset and picking up some more championship points.
“This track is really intense,” said Nicholson, of Bloomington, Indiana. “It’s super high speed and pretty bumpy, so we are on edge the whole time. And to add to that it’s nearly like a mini Daytona. You know that these cars draft really heavy at high speed and there’s only one low speed corner on this track so it’s pretty much drafting the whole time and it’s like a bullring to be honest.”
Chasing him is Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing), who also had a rough go of it at CTMP last year. He crossed the finish line ahead of everyone else in Race 2, but a 10-second penalty dropped him to 15th in the official results. If it weren’t for a last lap trip to the gravel trap in Round Six at Barber Motorsports Park, Fletcher would be leading this championship.
Despite winning four races so far this year, Tyler Gonzalez (No. 57 BSI Racing), sits in fourth in the championship standings. If you’re a ‘glass half empty’ kind of person that sounds disappointing, but if you’re a ‘glass half full’ kind of person, then it’s impressive because he also has two DNFs this season.
Both of last year’s CTMP race winners are having rollercoaster seasons in 2025. Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing) has seemingly walked under a ladder, crossed a black cat’s path and broken several mirrors, because the 2024 Rookie of the Year has only reached the podium once so far this season. Perhaps with new sponsor Little Caesers on board his car, Workman will walk away from the weekend saying ‘Winner! Winner!’
The same is true for Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing), the 2023 Rookie of the Year has only a single podium finish to his name this year and is clinging to 10th-place in the championship.
Speaking of rookies, the best of the current freshman class has shaken things up a bit for the second half of the season. Noah Harmon (No. 7 BSI Racing) has moved teams from AAG to BSI Racing, perhaps in an effort to hold off a charging Ethan Goulart (No. 29 Saito Motorsports Group). Goulart, another rookie, earned his first series win in a rainy Race 2 at Mid-Ohio and is 250 points behind Harmon.
Watch how things shake out live on the IMSA and RACER YouTube channels. Race 1 goes green at 5:25pm ET on Saturday, July 12, and Race 2 is slated to start at 10:05am ET on Sunday, July 13.