The 2026 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup season enters the homestretch with three race weekends remaining and four races left on the schedule, as the championship battle heads to Virginia International Raceway (VIR) this weekend.
Entering VIR, Justin Adakonis leads the championship aboard the No. 23 McCumbee McAleer Racing Mazda with 2,110 points. Adakonis has two victories this season, winning Round 4 at St. Petersburg and Round 6 at Mid-Ohio.
Behind Adakonis in second is BSI Racing’s Bobby Gossett in the No. 44, who also has two wins this season, taking Round 3 at St. Petersburg and Round 7 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP).
Gossett has recorded a podium finish in all but two rounds, both of which came at Mid-Ohio. Adakonis, meanwhile, has three podium finishes, including his two victories over the last five races.
Also remaining within striking distance of the championship are Jared Thomas, who sits third in his self-owned No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering entry, and Spark Performance rookie Frankie Barroso, who enters the weekend fourth in the standings.
While the title fight continues to heat up, a group of rookies will also take to the track this weekend, showcasing the next generation of Mazda MX-5 Cup talent. In total, 20 rookies are set to compete across the two-race weekend, including Saito Motorsports Group’s Lincoln Larson in the No. 19, William Wallis in Advanced Autosports’ No. 24, and 14-year-old Jensen Melchelke, who will compete in Parker Delong Racing’s No. 41.
Other familiar contenders in the field include Nathan Nicholson, Julian DaCosta, Jeremy Fletcher and Gresham Wagner. The rookie field also features Ethan Jacobs, Marcello Pannicia, Cam Ebben and Ethan Lampe, who earned his first MX-5 Cup victory last time out in Round 8 at CTMP.
This weekend’s Mazda MX-5 Cup action begins Saturday, August 22, with Race No. 1 (Round 9) at 5:45 p.m. ET. Race No. 2 (Round 10) will close out VIR’s racing festivities Sunday, August 23, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Both races will be broadcast live on IMSA’s official YouTube channel and IMSA.tv.
