After a long break away from the track, Jeremy Fletcher scored the first victory of the Mazda MX-5 Cup weekend at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, holding off Jared Thomas on the final lap aboard the No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing entry.

Justin Adakonis, the most recent race winner entering the weekend, started from pole position in the No. 23 McCumbee McAleer Racing machine. The opening lap was relatively uneventful for the pole sitter, but his time at the front was short-lived as Thomas powered his self-owned No. 96 into the lead.

Thomas controlled the race for much of the next 13 minutes before Gresham Wagner joined the battle at the front in the No. 5 entry. Wagner eventually took over the top spot, with Thomas, Adakonis, Fletcher, and Ethan Jacobs all locked in a fierce fight for the lead.

The race’s first caution came when Charlotte Traynor’s No. 43 Parker Delong Racing entry came to a stop on track, bringing out a full-course yellow and bunching the field back together.

With less than 15 minutes remaining, the battle for the win intensified on the restart. Wagner lost the lead to eventual race winner Fletcher, who emerged at the front during the closing stages. Thomas made one final charge on the final lap, but it was not enough, as Fletcher held on to claim his second victory of the season and his first since Daytona.

Championship leader Bobby Gossett endured a difficult race, finishing 12th in the No. 44 BSI Racing entry after entering the weekend atop the standings. As a result, Jared Thomas now moves into the championship lead with a 90-pt advantage heading into Sunday’s race.

Julian DaCosta, who is also competing in select ARCA West races this season, finished ninth to secure a top-10 result for BSI Racing in the Lightning McQueen-inspired No. 95 Mazda MX-5.

Race 2 will conclude the weekend on Sunday, June 7, with the green flag scheduled for 10:05 a.m. ET. The race will be streamed live on IMSA’s official YouTube channel and IMSA.tv.

Image Courtesy to McCumbee McAleer Racing