DANVILLE, Va. (Aug. 24, 2024) – Showing flashes of pace and continued improvement of his racecraft, Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) has been on the cusp of a Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race win all season. After one corner of Saturday’s race at VIRginia International Raceway, it looked as though he’d have to keep waiting, but a stunning comeback finally put Fletcher on the top step of the podium for the very first time. He was joined by young rookie Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing) and 2021 series champion Gresham Wagner (No. 5 McCumbee McAleer Racing).
Starting second, Fletcher had the outside lane going into Turn One. He dropped a wheel and that was all it took for physics to pull him off the track and through the grass. He came to a stop just before the tire wall and was able to continue, albeit at the back of the field.
“It was driver error,” Fletcher said. “I apologize to the team for making them stress out. I knew I had to put my head down and really get back after it. I knew the McCumbee McAleer guys provided me with a great race car.”
Fortunately for him, a full-course caution was issued only a few moments later when three cars tangled in Turn 10. On the restart, Fletcher was able to pick up six positions in one lap to kick start his comeback. He was into the top 10 by lap six.
The top 10 cars were glued nose to tail and it took everything Fletcher had to find his way through the pack, especially without another full-course caution for the rest of the 45-minute race.
In a series where the draft is a huge factor and the winning pass is often made on the final lap, Fletcher made the surprise decision to execute a three-wide pass for the lead in Turn One with more than six minutes left on the clock.
“Honestly, I haven’t really led much this year so far,” Fletcher explained. “So, I was really excited to get out there. I just wanted to stay consistent, and I was pretty confident I could do it from the front.”
He was right. Even with heavy pressure from two-time series champion Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) for the final four laps, Fletcher stayed out front and finally got his first MX-5 Cup win.
“You’ve just got to get them on your bumper and make it happen,” Fletcher said. “The Home Restoration Store, Home Decor and More, McCumbee McAleer machine got it done today and I’m so thankful for everyone.”
Finishing second by 0.070-second, Workman also had a lot of work to do, to make the podium. The rookie started seventh on the grid but made a skillful restart after the full-course caution and was into second by lap six.
“I think I was just able to get a good run on all the straightaways and was able to make up some time on the cars in front of me throughout that lap,” Workman said. “I was able to get to second. I stayed in second for a while, pushing whoever was leading me. It [the leader] was kind of flip flopping around a lot and I was always the second car in line, either pushing Gresham [Wagner] or Jared [Thomas]. Then, I finally went for the lead, and I was just managing the gap behind me.”
Managing was hard work when the top eight were still nose-to-tail through the fast and technical circuit.
“It’s a lot of trusting the drivers around you,” Workman said. “I’ve been racing with these guys all year, so I kind of know their driving styles and where they’re gonna brake and things like that. I was in second for so long, just to get to know the drivers around me. During that time that I was in second, I was able to find that breaking point and break there every single lap to manage the gap in front of me.”
Starting from pole, Wagner led early, but lost pace in the closing stages of the race and even fell out of the top five with four laps to go.
“It’s tough to push non-stop just because the temperatures get so high, so it incentivizes passing and getting some clean air every couple laps,” Wagner said. “At some point, I just shuffled back and then tried to work my way back. The car wasn’t 100 percent. I didn’t have the running in the first practice, so the setup was just a tick from where I’d want it. I just tried to set myself up to always move forward the last 10 minutes and take advantage of the racing ahead of me.”
Exiting the final corner, Wagner was fourth, but prepared for the long drag race to the finish line.
“Fourth place is a tough spot, because you’re at the whim of what happens in front,” Wagner said. “But thankfully a lane opened up and I pushed Weston through to second and also my teammate to his first win. So, all things considered, I’m pretty happy with it.”
Thomas was seemingly in the wrong lane at the finish and didn’t have anyone to give him a push, so he crossed the finish line in fourth.
Jonathan Neudorf (No. 55 BSI Racing) had one of the best races of his MX-5 Cup career and secured a personal best of fifth place.
The point leader coming into VIR, Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering) finished seventh, right behind Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing) who came into the weekend second in points.
Round 12 of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin goes green Sunday at 9:45am ET with live streaming on the RACER and IMSA YouTube Channels.
About: The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin is the signature spec series for Mazda Motorsports. The series has been operated by Andersen Promotions since 2017 and is currently sanctioned by IMSA. Mazda-powered grassroots champions can earn Mazda scholarships for this pro-level series. The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup awards more than $1 million in prizes and scholarships.
Find out more at http://www.mx-5cup.com.
