Fletcher Wins Photo Finish At Martinsville

Fletcher Tops Thrilling Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup at Martinsville

Martinsville, VA – Jeremy Fletcher clinched victory in a nail-biting Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup race at Martinsville, finishing just 0.003 seconds ahead of Westin Workman, marking one of the closest finishes in IMSA history. The win earned Fletcher a $25,000 prize and a coveted Martinsville clock.

Fletcher, who secured the 2025 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup championship earlier this season, exhibited outstanding pace throughout the event. He topped practice times and initially qualified third, benefiting from Nathan Nicholson’s disqualification due to a pre-race technical failure, which pushed him to the back of the grid.

The race unfolded with Fletcher quickly overtaking Nicholson for the lead by lap 12, while Workman secured second place shortly after. They maintained a commanding gap over the rest of the field, exchanging leads as they battled for supremacy. Workman won the first stage, leading for 33 laps before Fletcher took second.

A fan-influenced grid inversion reshuffled the top positions after the first stage, allowing Frankie Barroso to start from pole. Barroso led briefly before the action intensified, with a Full Course Caution on lap 58 triggered by an incident involving Fletcher and Nicholson. This was followed by a red flag due to Ethan Tovo’s crash, eliminating Earl Bamber from contention with a damaged vehicle.

As the race resumed, the front three—Nicholson, Fletcher, and Workman—engaged in fierce competition. With just 10 laps remaining, they entered a final sprint after a caution for Ruben Caceres’s barrier contact. Fletcher executed a daring maneuver that dislodged Nicholson, propelling him and Workman into a dramatic side-by-side dash for the finish line.

Fletcher’s final surge secured the victory, with Workman expressing his disappointment after finishing second for the second consecutive year. “It was too close to call… I’m just happy to be here,” he remarked. Workman left Martinsville with $12,000, thanks to his stage win and strong performance.

Fletcher reflected on his win, saying, “We came here to win, and we got it done. I can’t thank everybody enough.” He humorously noted he would defer to his grandmother on what to do with the trophy.

Notable performances included Jagger Jones, who finished third, and local driver Capers Zentmeyer, who placed sixth. The race capped off an exciting season, with teams now preparing for the 2026 campaign beginning in Daytona next January.

Race Results: