ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 4, 2026) – PT Autosport and Wheels America Racing’s Max Stallone powered through a second character-building event in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin this weekend, earning solid finishes in the highly competitive 40-car field.
After an engine issue sidelined him during qualifying, Stallone started at the back of the field in both 45-minute races. But the 19-year-old Austin, Texas native battled back, gaining valuable insight as his rookie season progresses.
Early in Friday’s lone practice, Stallone was laying down lap times close to the leaders. But midway through the session, he came into pit lane with an issue that turned out to be a snapped belt, which had caused the engine to overheat, necessitating a complete engine change – meaning Stallone would miss qualifying entirely.
“Based on who I was running with and where they finished in qualifying, I know that I have the pace to be right at the front,” said Stallone. “I’ll have to fight from the back in both races, but the expected rain for race one might be a little curveball for everyone.”
Stallone proved to be prophetic, as significant overnight rain and cool, cloudy skies brought very damp conditions for the 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning start and sent the field into race one on Michelin rain tires. Starting at the back of the field, Stallone passed seven cars on lap one, but a caution came out at the end of the lap with a car in the wall in turn one.
The front straight remained quite slick, with Stallone feeling that the combination of years of plane rubber and the dampness meant “the car wanted to do a 360 if you get on the paint under braking” (referring to the painted lines on the converted runway). The race returned to green but only briefly, as Stallone’s teammate Logan Stretch slid over a wet curb and ended up in the wall.
Two more yellows late in the race further reduced the green flag running time, but Stallone kept pushing – with “tempered aggression” – and came home P17. But for Stallone and the team, finishing in the top 20 with an undamaged car in his and the team’s first St. Pete outing felt like a win.
“It was weird mixed conditions,” said Stallone. “The track was starting to dry but was still very damp and had some puddles in spots. As it dried a bit, it was all about managing the tires, especially towards the end of the race as they started to get hot. But honestly, the paint might have been the hardest thing to manage – because there are all kinds of painted areas, like crosswalks and lane lines, it was so slick. Combine that with the nature of the street course where any mistake puts you in a wall and potentially totals the car, there were definitely some sketch moments. I managed to keep my nose clean and keep everything under control, taking advantage of other drivers going off and making good passes. In the end, it really was a ton of fun. “
Sunday’s race two took place after the INDYCAR race, with the track exposed to different race tires across the event weekend, including the NASCAR Truck Series.
Stallone took the green flag in 39th position and immediately went in a charge, making smart passes to reach P22 by turn five – until an incident behind him brought out the yellow flag. Restarting with 30 minutes remaining, Stallone began experiencing overheating issues that required he pull out of line on the front straight to cool the engine, and with a resulting power drop that put him into conservation mode. Short shifting and finding clean air, he held his position until a pair of late cautions ended the race under yellow, with Stallone P20.
“I had a really good first lap, the lane just opened really well for me,” said Stallone. “I probably passed 10 or 15 cars. But then halfway through lap two, the temperature gauge started flashing red and the power went down. It really was a shame because the car felt good. The team worked really, really hard last night to put together a good setup that was going to be able to do something like that. But we know the pace is there, we just need a race where it all comes together – and a little bit of luck wouldn’t hurt.”
PT Autosport team principal Jason Myers was once again impressed with Stallone’s ability to bounce back from adversity – though it will be a few months before he’ll be able to display his talents in the MX-5 car.
“Max showed some great strengths and driving talent in both races this weekend, making a strong drive through the fields on both occasions,” said Myers.” His ability to navigate through traffic and put some really nice laps down is definitely there. We’re feeling confident as we head into this long break until our next race at Mid-Ohio in June, though we do have some testing opportunities between now and then. I think the coming races will really show the performance of the car and Max’s capabilities.”
Next up for the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin series will be the doubleheader at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course June 5 to 7. Both races will be streamed live on the IMSA and Racer magazine YouTube channels.
PT Autosport would like to thank our Partners for their continued support:
Mazda Motorsports has been winning races around the world for 50 years. From Le Mans, France to Daytona International Speedway in Florida, Mazdas have been a constant presence at racetracks around the globe, garnering wins and championships in races too numerous to list – and the list keeps growing.
Mazda Motorsports is responsible for all auto racing initiatives within the North American market, from promoting and servicing grassroots racers to developing sports car professionals of the future.
Instagram: MazdaMotorsports
X: Mazda Motorsports
Facebook: MazdaMotorsports
Stallone supports Hope Farm, founded in the Dallas/Fort Worth area in 1997 as a long-term leadership development program that guides at-risk boys, without the benefit of a positive male role model in their homes, from the time they are 5-7 years old until high school graduation and beyond. Staff and volunteers are dedicated to meeting the spiritual, nutritional, academic, emotional, and recreational needs of each young man to break the cycle of fatherlessness.
Instagram: @hope.farm
X: @HopeFarmInc
Facebook: Hope Farm, Inc.
About PT Autosport — Discover Unique Talent. Develop Champions.
PT Autosport is dedicated to providing merit-based motorsport industry opportunities for diverse individuals with high integrity, grit, and coach-ability, achieved through a development program for young aspiring drivers, engineers, mechanics, and other professionals. The first step of this process is applying for the annual Aspiring Driver Shootout, in which aspiring drivers aged 18-23 can compete for a team racing partnership with the team.
A rigorous evaluation process of applicants determines the final competitors for the driver shootout. The winner earns financial support of up to $250,000 ($50,000 guaranteed) to pursue their racing career. The review process also provides the team the chance to identify unique talent for other roles in motorsport, including race engineers, mechanics, and professionals.
PT Autosport is building a community that fosters the development of young talent to find a place where they can make an impact in the motorsport community as a career.
Instagram: @pt_autosport
X: @PtAutosport
Facebook: PT Autosport
YouTube: PT Autosport
TikTok: @ptautosport
