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The 14-round Mazda MX-5 Cup calendar is composed of seven doubleheader events across North America, including three of IMSA’s premier events. (Mazda photo)

Mazda MX-5 Cup Reveals 14-Race Calendar

The 2024 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires schedule brings the spec series back to familiar favorites as well as high-profile IMSA events once again.

The 14-round calendar is composed of seven doubleheader events across North America, including three of IMSA’s premier events.

The Mazda MX-5 Cup season will begin where it traditionally has for the past three years — Daytona Int’l Raceway, as support for the famous Rolex 24 at Daytona, Jan. 24-26. The drafting battles on the banked speedway turns are something that have proven to get both fans and the IMSA paddock on their feet.

For rounds three and four, the series stays in Florida and joins the 12 Hours of Sebring ticket at Sebring Int’l Raceway, March 13-15. It marks the return of MX-5 Cup to the historic venue, having last raced there in 2021, producing one of the series’ most famous endings — a three-way photo finish with a 0.001-second margin of victory.

After taking the month of April off, the series travels across the country to Monterey, Calif., and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, May 10-12. The beautiful circuit is the spiritual home of the series which made its debut there in 2006.

Following a year’s hiatus, IMSA returns to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, and brings MX-5 Cup with it. Rounds seven and eight will take place June 7-9. For the first time since 2016, MX-5 Cup will race at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park outside of Toronto, Canada.

The series will head north of the border to the ultra-fast circuit formerly known as Mosport July 12-14.

In August, MX-5 Cup returns to beautiful VIRginia International Raceway. Rounds 11 and 12 will take place August 23-25 in Alton, Va.

As has become tradition, the MX-5 Cup season ends at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, as part of IMSA’s celebrated season finale — Petit Le Mans. The final two races for the championship will take place Oct. 9-11.

“The 2024 schedule is a balance of continuity and striving to be on the largest stages possible,” Mazda Motorsports Program Manager Jonathan Applegate said. “To have a spec series race at Daytona, Sebring and Road Atlanta is special and shows how popular the series has become.

“We’ve learned a lot about which tracks suit MX-5 Cup in terms of quality racing and putting on a good show, and we’ve taken that into consideration when creating the 2024 schedule as well.”

The 2024 season will mark the 19th season of Mazda MX-5 Cup competition.