MARTINSVILLE, Va. (July 17, 2025) – After making its groundbreaking oval debut at Martinsville Speedway last year, the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin will return to the famous short track alongside NASCAR’s top-tier series.
Mazda’s signature spec series, now in its 20th season, will replicate its single-day exhibition event on Thursday, October 23, leading into the penultimate weekend for the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity and CRAFTSMAN Truck series championships.
The inaugural Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup race at Martinsville in 2024 saw 18 cars take the green flag for a 100-lap feature race. The event produced an outstanding race, which culminated in a green-white-checkered finish and Jared Thomas taking the win and $25,000 prize plus a Ridgeway clock.
“We were delighted by the fan reaction and feedback from our first visit to Martinsville Speedway,” Mazda Motorsports Senior Manager Jonathan Applegate said. “We immediately knew we needed to do it again. Clay Campbell and the leadership at NASCAR and IMSA thought the same thing and I’m thrilled that last year’s experiment has landed us as an opening act for NASCAR’s top series.”
The series’ return to Martinsville will look very similar to its’ debut; a one-day event, sharing the track with the Whelen Modified Tour. Teams will have two practice sessions leading up to single-car qualifying and a 100-lap race divided into two 50-lap stages.
“The Mazda MX-5 Cup race at Martinsville Speedway really captures everything this place represents,” said Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell. “It brings us back to some of our earliest days of racing in the 50s, the last time we had open-top cars on track here, and blends it with all the intensity of modern-day competition. We couldn’t be more excited to add it to our NASCAR Playoffs race weekend and elevate that signature history-making atmosphere that comes with racing at Martinsville.”
Once again, IMSA’s YouTube channel will provide free live streaming of the race. A MX-5 Cup open test will be held at Martinsville, Monday, August 25, following the series’ doubleheader at VIRginia International Raceway.
About Martinsville Speedway
Founded by H. Clay Earles in 1947, Martinsville Speedway is the only NASCAR track to host NASCAR Cup Series races every year since its inception in 1949. At .526 miles in length, the track annually hosts two NASCAR race weekends featuring the NASCAR Cup Series, along with NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series races in the fall. Martinsville Speedway also annually hosts the ValleyStar Credit Union 300, the nation’s biggest, richest and most prestigious NASCAR Late Model Stock Car race. For more information about Martinsville Speedway, visit martinsvillespeedway.com.
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.
