Inside MX-5 Cup: Welcome to Martinsville
Today at 03:28 PM
Some would argue that racing is as simple as getting in a fast car and being first to the finish. If only.
Racing is a maze of categories, formats and more that need to be assiduously navigated by those looking to make a career from it. Over time that's led to drivers specializing in ovals or road racing, sports cars or stock cars. Longtime fans will recall when some drivers regularly crossed over from one genre of racing to another, and there are signs that the tide could be turning back to those days.
Kyle Larson and Jimmie Johnson have been recent examples, and one needn't look far down the starting list of any recent Rolex 24 At Daytona to see a convergence of stars from different segments of the sport. What's more, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series schedule features five different road and street course races, with a sixth joining in 2025.
With that in mind, conversations began more than a year ago to try a novel experiment. The powers that be from IMSA, NASCAR, Martinsville Speedway and Mazda Motorsports came together to ask what if they held an MX-5 Cup race on an oval? Soon after, an initial feasibility test was quietly carried out. Then, in July of 2024, the announcement was made: the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin will run a non-championship race at Martinsville Speedway on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024.
"NASCAR today isn't the same as it was 10 years ago in terms of the car, the road courses and the entertainment factor," says Mazda Motorsports Senior Manager Jonathan Applegate. "That's produced a desire for a hybrid driver, one who isn't necessarily coming from ovals and who can adapt to road courses. At the same time, MX-5 Cup drivers are increasingly open not only to racing in sports cars, but also seeing what opportunities lie in stock cars. So, this event is an opportunity for all the parties involved to broaden their story and it allows the Mazda MX-5 Cup Series to further position itself as pathway to the higher ranks of racing, be it sports cars or stock cars, or a combination of the two."
A successful pre-event test held at Martinsville Speedway, Aug. 26, confirmed the ability of the MX-5 Cup cars, drivers and teams to produce a great race on the half-mile Martinsville oval. The 100-lap MX-5 Cup race will join the 200-lap NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour finale to comprise the Virginia is for Racing Lovers 300 weekend.
Other than a few baseline setup recommendations, the Mazda MX-5 Cup cars will compete unchanged from their road-racing configuration and the field is open to drivers from other series. The test included oval series drivers from both ARCA and the CARS Tour.
"I think this is a tremendous opportunity for all involved," declares Chad McCumbee, co-owner of McCumbee McAleer Racing and an experienced driver of both oval and road racing series. "I might be biased here, but I think this will open some doors for a lot of people and all the series involved, and there's no telling what could come out of this. There's no doubt that today's driver needs to be well-rounded, no matter what facet of the sport you're involved with. From my own experience, I've learned so much from racing on both ovals and road courses that it's made me better overall, whether I'm racing my Late Model or racing in a sports car."
Everything is pointing to this Mazda MX-5 Cup one-off at Martinsville being a success. What the future holds is to be determined, but this could be a turning point.
Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell has been an enthusiastic supporter of Mazda MX-5 Cup cars racing at the half-mile oval in Virginia right from the start, and he thinks it's going to be a big night on Oct. 26.
"We're really looking forward to this; I think it's going to be an outstanding show," he says. "No matter where they run, the fans love MX-5 Cup races. So we ran the tests and everyone came away feeling really positive, and the talk in the area with our fans has been incredible. Everyone's curious to see what it's all about.
"This will be the first time since the early 1950s that on open-top car has raced here at Martinsville, so it's bringing back some of how we started, but it's also a chance for people to watch a car that's very close to the one they can drive on the street racing here on our track."
And yes, Campbell confirms that in keeping with tradition, the winner's trophy will indeed be a clock. It just wouldn't be Martinsville without one…
Follow Mazda MX-5 Cup to learn more about upcoming races including the 2025 schedule, until then check out the 2024 season championship at Road Atlanta and more on The RACER Channel.
