Despite starting the year off with breakthrough victories in the Rolex 24 at Daytona and the Sebring 12 Hour there was still one win that eluded Connor Zilisch (No. 72 BSI Racing)-until today. The racing phenom fought hard to get his first Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup win of the year at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Zilisch continues the streak of non-repeat race winners and becomes the seventh different driver to win in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup this season. Defending series champion Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) finished second ahead of polesitter Gresham Wagner (No.
5 McCumbee McAleer Racing). After breaking his own qualifying lap record at Mid-Ohio Saturday morning, Wagner looked like the man to beat up front. He led a breakaway pack that included Zilisch, Thomas and Nate Cicero (No.
83 McCumbee McAleer Racing). The intense racing happening from fifth through tenth behind them looked like it could have been a fight for a championship. Penalties handed out in qualifying put some of the regular front runners farther back than usual and with the passing opportunities at Mid-Ohio, it was a whirlwind of position changes through 45 minutes of all green-flag racing.
Point leader Aaron Jeansonne (No. 24 JTR Motorsports Engineering), top rookie Nathan Nicholson (No. 56 JTR Motorsports Engineering) and podium regular Jeremy Fletcher (No.
22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) had to make some daring moves to pick their way through the field. It wasn’t long before Wagner, Zilisch,.
