BRASLETON, Ga. (Oct. 6, 2025) – The 20th season of Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin is set to come to a dramatic close this week with Rounds 13 and 14 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. The quest for the $250,000 championship prize has come down to three drivers, all of whom are chasing their first-ever Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup title.
One driver in particular is very familiar with this situation; Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) came into last year’s finale with the championship lead only to have his title hopes crushed with a DNF in Race 1. He returns to the finale once again with a slim championship lead and focused on not repeating his fate.
“I’m feeling good going into Road Atlanta this year, which is very similar to last year,” Fletcher said. “I don’t think we lacked pace or confidence last year, it was just a bit of bad luck. I know the MMR guys are going to provide me with the car to get the job done, I just have to keep calm and do my job.”
Nathan Nicholson (No. 56 Advanced Autosports) has spent the most time atop the point standings this year, but he was knocked out of the top spot after Fletcher put in a dominating performance in Rounds 11 and 12 at VIRginia International Raceway. Though he has yet to win a MX-5 Cup race, Nicholson’s consistency has put him firmly in the championship battle, just 50 points shy of Fletcher.
“I’m definitely looking forward to the season finale,” Nicholson said. “It’s been an amazing season so far and I truly believe I have the right people around me to make this happen. We just have to go out and continue to do what we have been doing all season.”
Tyler Gonzalez (No. 57 BSI Racing) has had a season opposite that of Nicholson. Gonzalez has won more races than any other driver this season (five) but has never led the point standings and comes into the finale third, because of two DNFs and a handful of mediocre race finishes.
“We are heading into the season finale at Road Atlanta with a bigger points deficit than I would like,” Gonzalez said. “With that being said, I have full confidence in our speed at Road Atlanta and we’re going to fight for this championship and every position until the very last corner.”
Gonzalez isn’t exaggerating; the final lap of the season finale races are often some of the most hair-raising moments of the season. With $250,000 on the line, it’s easy to understand why.
The season champion isn’t the only one who will walk away with a big check at the awards banquet; the Rookie of the Year is set to receive $80,000. This year it will come down to one of three drivers: Ethan Goulart (No. 29 Saito Motorsports Group), Helio Meza (No. 27 BSI Racing) or Noah Harmon (No. 7 BSI Racing). Goulart started his rookie season with a runner-up finish at Daytona and broke through for a victory at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, making him the only rookie to score a race win this season. He heads into the final weekend 80 points ahead of Meza and 90 points clear of Harmon.
Since partnering with IMSA as a sanctioning body, MX-5 Cup has only had two champions, both two-time winners: Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) and Gresham Wagner (No. 81 RAFA Racing by MMR). Neither are in contention for the title this year, but both are more than capable of winning races at Road Atlanta.
Former MX-5 Cup Rookie of the Year pilots Westin Workman (No. 13 BSI Racing) and Nate Cicero (No. 83 McCumbee McAleer Racing) are another pair of drivers that could easily collect a race win at Road Atlanta this week.
Since 2018, the Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship has come down to the final race of the season. This year will be no different, forcing drivers to claw for each and every position to the very end. And that’s why MX-5 Cup at Road Atlanta is a true spectacle.
Race 1 takes place Thursday at 2:10pm ET. Race 2 will begin at 9:35am ET on Friday. Both races will be streamed live on the IMSA and RACER 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.
