MARTINSVILLE, Va. — The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin welcomed teams and drivers to an open test at Martinsville Speedway on Monday in preparation for the series’ oval track debut on Oct. 26.
The highly competitive series, which traditionally stages races on a select schedule of some of North Americas most compelling road and street circuits, will innovate with a first-ever oval event at the revered half-mile Virginia bullring.
More than 20 drivers participated in the test and included a mix of Mazda MX-5 Cup regulars as well as drivers with ARCA, CARS Tour and other oval experience, but zero time in a MX-5 Cup car.
The test consisted of two, two-hour long sessions, the second of which was held in the evening and under the lights. The second session also gave competitors the chance to practice race starts.
“I’ve never driven anything on an oval at all, so this is a really cool experience,” Nate Cicero said. “The cars are actually pretty fun to drive. You just have to treat it like regular corners on any other track. But I think it’ll be pretty difficult to race and pass with how close everyone’s gonna be, but I think it’ll be super cool.”
Jared Thomas, driver of the No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering Mazda, assessed how different Martinsville is to other tracks the series races at.
“I’d say the biggest difference that I found was just the changing groove, or the groove that you’re running and how it affects the race car,” Thomas said. “It’s something I played around with as we went through the tire life changing. Where you ran on the track really adjusted how the car drove. You know, not saying it’s faster slower, but getting comfortable with it.
“I would expect it [the race] to be pretty racy. I got out there and passed some cars and ran side by side, and the cars seem to run well. The top groove is definitely there, and the guy who’s on top can make it very, very difficult for the car on the bottom. I think it’ll put on a good show.”
The Virginia is for Race Lovers event at Martinsville Speedway partners MX-5 Cup with the Whelen Modifieds Tour on Oct. 26. The race will be a non-points race for MX-5 Cup, and instead offer prize money including $15,000 to the winner.