Mid-Ohio MX-5 Cup Reflects Championship Shakeup
Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, July 15, 2023 – The seventh round of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin culminated in a significant recalibration of the championship standings. Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22, McCumbee McAleer Racing) clinched his first win of the season, surging through the pack after an eventful race, while previous points leader Jared Thomas (No. 96, JTR Motorsports Engineering) suffered a late-race incident that relegated him to 24th.
The weekend marked the re-entry of two-time champion Gresham Wagner (No. 81, Rafa Racing Team by MMR), who nearly secured pole position but was edged out by Nate Cicero (No. 83, McCumbee McAleer Racing) by just 0.05 seconds. Cicero’s fourth pole of the year, however, did not prove to be a fortunate one, as he experienced power issues mid-race, ultimately retiring from contention.
Wagner, who took the lead on lap five, engaged in a fierce battle with Thomas, allowing Fletcher, Helio Meza (No. 27, BSI Racing), and Nathan Nicholson (No. 56, Advanced Autosports) to join the fray. Tensions rose with 10 minutes remaining when Meza and Nicholson collided, causing Nicholson to lose ground.
On the final lap, Meza’s timely push enabled Fletcher to overtake Wagner. Thomas then lost control, sliding into the gravel, thus ending his race in disappointing fashion. Fletcher crossed the finish line with a solid 0.882-second advantage.
Fletcher expressed gratitude towards his team, stating, "This is almost like a do or die season for me financially. I went out there today, just tried to keep it clean and brought it home."
Meza earned his first podium of the season, finishing second and securing 10 bonus points for the fastest lap. “All you can do is learn and do better,” he reflected on the season’s difficulties.
Wagner, despite leading the most laps, finished third and shared, "It was like riding a bike… but happy that a teammate got the win instead of me."
The top five was rounded out by Justin Adakonis (No. 23, McCumbee McAleer Racing), with Xfinity Series driver Jesse Love Jr. (No. 2, BSI Racing) making a notable guest appearance, finishing 10th.
Bryce Cornet (No. 65, Spark Performance) received the Penske Shocking Performance Award for starting 21st and finishing eighth, while Alex Bachoura (No. 33, Spark Performance) claimed the Takumi Award, finishing 12th.
Sally Mott (No. 15, JTR Motorsports Engineering) maintained her streak as the top female finisher, finishing 20th.
The series continues with Round Eight scheduled to start at 10:05 a.m. ET on Sunday, with live streaming available on the IMSA and RACER YouTube channels.
