LEXINGTON, Ohio (June 2, 2026) – It has been a quiet three months since the checkered flag flew in St. Petersburg, but it’s finally time for the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin to return to the racetrack for Rounds 5 and 6 this weekend. The setting is Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, which never fails to produce some of the best racing of the season. A field of 39 cars is expected, including a few new faces that could shake up the championship.
 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup arrives in Ohio following a weekend that featured two first-time race winners on the streets of St. Petersburg. One of them, Bobby Gossett (No. 44 BSI Racing) took over the points lead as a result. In his sophomore season, Gossett leads two-time champion Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) by 20 points with a long season yet to go.
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Another first-time winner at St. Petersburg was Justin Adakonis (No. 23 McCumbee McAleer Racing) who finds himself third in the point standings entering Mid-Ohio. Also in his sophomore season, Adakonis would likely be leading the championship if not for a malfunctioning transponder in Race 1 at St. Pete, which forced him to come into the pits for a new one.
One driver looking to add his name to the first-time race winner list this season is Nathan Nicholson (No. 56 Advanced Autosports) and he nearly got his first win at Mid-Ohio last year. He led the field to the white flag in Race 2, but was passed by Ethan Goulart, who went on to win his first MX-5 Cup race that day. It’s hard to believe that after 31 races, the ever-competitive Nicholson is still searching for that first MX-5 Cup race win.
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Leading the rookie chase is Frankie Barroso (No. 48 Spark Performance), who scored two top-five finishes at St. Pete. He is sixth in the point standings but would be higher had he not picked up a post-race penalty in Race 2 at Daytona.
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Speaking of rookies, this year’s MX-5 Cup Shootout Scholarship winner Max Stallone (No. 3 Wheels America Racing) has had a rocky start to his season but has been doing his homework. The Texan picked up two Spec Miata race wins at Mid-Ohio during a SCCA weekend in May. Stallone was one of several MX-5 Cup drivers who took advantage of the SCCA event to get more laps around Mid-Ohio.
Adding some international flavor to the entry list is Luke Pullen (No. 21 Hendricks Motorsports). The Brit is making his MX-5 Cup debut this weekend. He has a season of Spec MX5 under his belt with two podium finishes at Mid-Ohio. Pullen has been a finalist for the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout the past two years.
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More drivers making their series debut this weekend include Massimo Sunseri (No. 15 BSI Racing), Michael O’Dell (No. 46 JTR Motorsports Engineering) and Amilio DeLauro (No. 67 BSI Racing).
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It’s a grid packed with plenty of talent and potential at a track that consistently produces great racing. It’s something you don’t want to miss when MX-5 Cup returns to racing action. Round Five takes place Saturday, June 6 at 3:05pm ET. Round Six goes green at 10:10am ET on Sunday, June 7. Both races will be streamed live on the IMSA and RACER YouTube channels.