McCumbee McAleer Racing’s Justin Adakonis (#23) topped all five sessions on the final day of the two-day Mazda MX-5 Cup test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

He opened the morning in Session #4 with a 1:40.6977. Bobby Gossett (#44, BSI Racing) followed in 2nd with a 1:41.0870, while John Salerno (#34, JTR Motorsports Engineering) placed 3rd with a 1:41.2516.

Adakonis improved again in Session #5, laying down a 1:40.6664. Gossett remained 2nd with a 1:40.9996, as Matthew Novak (#11, Advanced Autosport) moved into 3rd with a 1:41.0214.

The pace continued to build into the afternoon, with Adakonis setting his best lap of the day in Session #6 at a 1:40.4733. Salerno returned to 2nd with a 1:41.3093, narrowly ahead of Max Stallone (#3, Wheels America Racing), who clocked a 1:41.3118 in 3rd.

In Session #7, Gossett once again slotted into 2nd with a 1:41.1808, while Stallone held 3rd at a 1:41.3169.

The final session (#8) saw Helio Meza (#7, BSI Racing) take 2nd with a 1:40.8523, while Ethan Lampe (#31, Advanced Autosport) rounded out the top three with a 1:41.0156.

Across the two-day test, Justin Adakonis and Bobby Gossett both remained consistently inside the top three, along with Jared Thomas, who only ran on Wednesday. Max Stallone also had an impressive week, staying inside the top 10 and making steady improvements in lap time.

“It’s been a little tricky for sure,” championship leader Bobby Gossett said of the test. “I’m definitely not always the quickest at all, but we’re definitely getting there. I was definitely a little nervous coming here, obviously never been here before. And in a Cup car, it’s even more interesting because they’re a little sketchy. We do a lot of sim work though, and overall, we’ve been getting up to speed. You know, we’ve been second or third every session. Obviously, we’re trying to push for first. We just had a little incident, but yeah, we’re working on it for sure.”

Now that Mazda MX-5 Cup testing has concluded, the series looks ahead to Mid-Ohio in a month and a half, June 5–7, where it will support Michelin Pilot Challenge’s main event weekend.

 

Indy Test Notes from Day 2

  • Session #4: Justin Adakonis (McCumbee McAleer Racing) – 1:40.6977; Bobby Gossett (No. 44, BSI Racing) – 1:41.0870; John Salerno (No. 34, JTR Motorsports Engineering) – 1:41.2516
  • Session #5: Justin Adakonis (McCumbee McAleer Racing) – 1:40.6664; Bobby Gossett (BSI Racing) – 1:40.9996; Matthew Novak (No. 11, Advanced Autosport) – 1:41.0214
  • Session #6: Justin Adakonis (McCumbee McAleer Racing) – 1:40.4733; John Salerno (JTR Motorsports Engineering) – 1:41.3093; Max Stallone (No. 3, Wheels America Racing) – 1:41.3118
  • Session #7: Justin Adakonis (McCumbee McAleer Racing) – 1:40.6799; Bobby Gossett (BSI Racing) – 1:41.1808; Max Stallone (Wheels America Racing) – 1:41.3169
  • Session #8: Justin Adakonis (McCumbee McAleer Racing) – 1:40.5467; Helio Meza (No. 7, BSI Racing) – 1:40.8523; Ethan Lampe (No. 31, Advanced Autosport) – 1:41.0156
  • Justin Adakonis (No. 23, McCumbee McAleer Racing) topped all five sessions on Thursday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
  • Across the test, Justin Adakonis (McCumbee McAleer Racing) and Bobby Gossett (BSI Racing) were consistently inside the top three
  • Jared Thomas (#96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) ran consistently near the top during Wednesday.
  • Max Stallone (Wheels America Racing) remained inside the top 10 and showed steady improvement throughout the test.
  • Bobby Gossett (BSI Racing) described testing as “a little tricky,” noting strong progress and consistency despite limited experience at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
  • A handful of drivers did not or limited their testing on Thursday. Only 12 drivers took laps in the final session, #8.
  • The Mazda MX-5 Cup will next compete at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course for the June 5–7 event weekend supporting Michelin Pilot Challenge.

 

Image Courtesy to McCumbee McAleer Racing