This past weekend was rounds seven and eight of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship. We had all kinds of weather conditions, from sunny to overcast and even rainy.
However, that didn’t stop the competition from being fierce and as close as ever. We saw the top 25 cars separated by a mere 1 second after qualifying. This is truly remarkable and showcases not only how competitive the series is, but also how much equality there is in the cars.
Race one had quite the mix of action, with several of the top championship contenders having their fair share of bad luck and really shaking up the points championship going into Sunday’s race two. We also saw a first-time winner for the season, Jeremy Fletcher, along with first-time podium finisher Helio Meza, who is a Mazda Shootout scholarship recipient and a rookie this season.
Sunday’s race had a twist, because rain moved in and we had wet conditions for the day. This really mixed things up for teams, who had to make setup adjustments, and drivers, who had to adapt to the weather after having no wet-weather practice prior to the race.
The wet certainly kept things interesting, with lots of close moments and some spectacular racing at the front of the field. With a dramatic last-lap pass from third to first, Ethan Goulart grabbed his first series win in his rookie year!
The results from the event just proved how competitive the rookie contingent of racers is in this series. The rookies continue to develop, and now that we’re four events into the season, we’re really seeing their progress.
It’s a short turnaround for me this week, as I’m heading up to Watkins Glen again. This time, I’ll be there for the HSR Classic 6-hour, where I’m joining Forbush Performance in their Ligier LMP3 car. I have a lot of fond memories of racing a prototype at that track, and I’m excited to be racing there in one again. Look for a full report next week.