ALTON, Va. (Aug. 18, 2025) – Time is running out for drivers hoping to win the 2025 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin. The series travels to VIRginia International Raceway this weekend for Rounds 11 and 12 of a 14-race season. With the championship points so close, the events that play out at VIR could be the deciding factor for the crown and the $250,000 championship prize.
Leading the way is Nathan Nicholson (No. 56 Advanced Autosports). This series sophomore is still in search of his first-ever series race win after more than 20 starts, but considering where he’s at in the championship, he might accept that fate if it means he wins the title.
“The whole team is still thinking big picture and focused on winning the championship,” Nicholson said. “I really believe that’s what’s more important to my career and to the team’s development, so we keep pushing with that in mind. It’s obvious that all of us want to win and we’re there to win every single time out on track, but we still have that long-term goal in mind.”
Unlike the previous two rounds at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), Nicholson will have a teammate to work with at VIR. Ethan Jacobs (No. 99 Advanced Autosports) returns for the first time since Mid-Ohio in 2024 where he had two strong races. Jacobs is currently third in the Spec MX-5 Championship.
Jacobs is one of six new(ish) drivers on the grid for VIR. Marcello Paniccia (No. 19 Saito Motorsports Group) returns after making his debut at CTMP. Zach Hollingshead (No. 39 Saito Motorsports Group) raced VIR last year and is back for another two races. Charlotte Traynor (No. 43 PDR Racing) and Skyler Cottrell (No. 76 AAG Racing) both made their MX-5 Cup debut at Barber Motorsport Park in May and are back on the grid.
The only true first-timer in the group is Rocco Pasquarella (No. 58 AAG Racing) who is lucky enough to have previous Spec MX-5 experience at VIR.
Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) will have to expertly navigate the crop of newcomers if he hopes to catch Nicholson in the points. Considering the fact he won both VIR races last year, including one from the back of the field, it shouldn’t be a problem.
Tyler Gonzalez (No. 57 BSI Racing) is another former VIR race winner (2022) who is urgently trying to close the gap to Nicholson in the points. A win in Race 1 at CTMP helped but he’s still digging himself out of a hole created by two DNFs.
Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) knows how to win at VIR and knows exactly how important it is for the championship. Thomas is a two-time MX-5 Cup champion and in both of those championship seasons, he was the point leader leaving VIR.
We have not one, but two wildcards on the grid for VIR. The first being Gresham Wagner (No. 81 Rafa Racing by MMR), a two-time champion with 14 race wins under his belt, but not in the hunt for the championship since he missed four races. He is the most recent race winner, taking victory in a lightning shortened race at CTMP.
The other wildcard is Selin Rollan (No. 87 BSI Racing). The MX-5 Cup veteran stepped away from racing to focus on his career as a commercial pilot but is back in the driver’s seat at VIR. The fast and affable Floridian can’t win the championship, but he can win races and maybe help his BSI Racing teammates win as well.
Two of those BSI teammates are Noah Harmon (No. 7 BSI Racing) and Helio Meza (No. 27 BSI Racing) who are currently locked in a fight for the Rookie of the Year title. They are being chased by Ethan Goulart (No. 29 Saito Motorsports Group), who is the only rookie to score a race win so far this season. Whomever is the top rookie at the end of the year will receive $80,000 from Mazda.
If you’re not watching in person, you can catch all Mazda MX-5 Cup races live on the RACER and IMSA YouTube channels. Race 1 will take place Saturday, August 23 at 5:55pm ET. On Sunday, August 24, Race 2 will get underway at 10:40am ET.
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.
