The Martinsville Exhibition Race for the Mazda MX-5 Cup is the coolest, most epic thing in racing
Right now, there’s not much IMSA isn’t doing right. On Thursday, the sanctioning body announced that it would bring to its input level racing series, Mazda MX-5 Cupto a NASCAR racetrack for the first time. Yes, The MX-5 Cup has raced at Daytona in the past.but only on the track. This October, the series will run 100 laps Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. Racing is always in top condition as the series makes interesting and fun choicesand it is totally worth it.
Like all IMSA series, the MX-5 Cup is run on both a track and a street circuit. The series’ title sponsor, Whelen, is also the title sponsor of the NASCAR Modified Tour. Working with IMSA and NASCAR, Whelen has placed both of its championships at Martinsville for the Modified Tour season finale. Martinsville, affectionately known as “The Paperclip,” is one of the best short tracks on the circuit, as both ends of the track have different radii, making setups difficult and driving challenging.
If you want to know what the MX-5 Cup is all about, just watch the last ten minutes of the first race of the season in January. There are as many bumps and crashes as a NASCAR Cup race, but these cars are based on real road cars and are prepared almost exactly the same way. With the standard MX-5 engines, these cars don’t have much power, so traction and momentum are extremely important.
I expect this event at Martinsville to have more passing in 100 laps than Formula One does in an entire season. It should be a very exciting event, and I look forward to seeing it all unfold this fall.
