2022 Mazda MX-5 Cup
The 2022 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BF Goodrich was a single-make motor racing championship, the 18th season of the Mazda MX-5 Cup and the 2nd under a new sanctioning agreement with the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). The series began on January 27 at Daytona International Speedway, and concluded on October 1 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta after 14 rounds. Jared Thomas won the driver's championship by a narrow margin of 10 points over Connor Zilisch, who was awarded Rookie of the Year. Hixon Motor Sports earned the entrant's championship.
Schedule
The schedule was announced on August 6, 2021, featuring 14 rounds across seven double-header weekends.[1] All races are 45 minutes in length.
Rnd. | Circuit | Location | Dates | Supporting |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Daytona International Speedway (Road Course) | Daytona Beach, Florida | January 27–30 | IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship |
2 | ||||
3 | Streets of St. Petersburg | St. Petersburg, Florida | February 25–27 | NTT Data IndyCar Series |
4 | ||||
5 | Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course | Lexington, Ohio | May 13–15 | IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship |
6 | ||||
7 | Watkins Glen International | Watkins Glen, New York | June 23–26 | IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship |
8 | ||||
9 | Road America | Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin | July 1–3 | NASCAR Cup Series |
10 | ||||
11 | Virginia International Raceway | Alton, Virginia | August 26–28 | IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship |
12 | ||||
13 | Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta | Braselton, Georgia | September 28–October 1 | IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship |
14 | ||||
Source:[2] |
Entry list
All competitors utilize the Mazda MX-5 Cup car, modified to their homologated racing specification by Flis Performance.
Team | No. | Driver | Rounds | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Carter Racing Enterprises | 08 | Michael Carter | 1–5 | |
Copeland Motorsports | 2 | Maximilian Opalski[3] | R | 1–4, 6–7 |
7 | Matt Curry[4] | R | 1, 3 | |
31 | Jameson Riley[5] | R | All | |
51 | Tyler Gonzalez[6] | 1–4, 6–7 | ||
Maximilian Opalski[3] | R | 5 | ||
Spark Performance | 5 | Gresham Wagner[7] | All | |
24 | Aaron Jeansonne[7] | All | ||
33 | Alex Bachoura[7] | All | ||
48 | Rossi Lee[8] | 2–3, 6 | ||
Hixon Motor Sports | 10 | Thomas Annunziata[9] | R | 6 |
21 | Bruno Carneiro[10] | R | 1–6 | |
27 | Dante Tornello[11] | R | 1–5 | |
65 | Bryce Cornet[12] | R | 1–6 | |
72 | Connor Zilisch[13] | R | All | |
80 | Ethan Tyler | R | 3–6 | |
85 | Bruno Smielevski[14] | R | 6–7 | |
87 | Selin Rollan[15] | All | ||
McCumbee McAleer Racing | 13 | Jenson Altzman[8] | All | |
15 | Aidan Fassnacht[16] | R | All | |
28 | Sam Paley[17] | All | ||
39 | John Jodoin[8] | R | All | |
48 | Rossi Lee[8] | 1 | ||
53 | Mark Kvamme | 7 | ||
55 | Moisey Uretsky[8] | 1–5 | ||
76 | Matthew Dirks[8] | All | ||
89 | Justin Piscitell[8] | All | ||
Thunder Bunny Racing | 22 | Laura Hayes | R | All |
75 | Parker Kligerman[18] | R | 5 | |
JTR Motorsports Engineering | 23 | Glenn McGee | All | |
69 | Anthony McIntosh | R | 1–5, 7 | |
81 | James Hayosh | R | 4–5 | |
82 | Woody Heimann | All | ||
88 | Sean Varwig | R | 1–2 | |
Cameron Lawrence | 7 | |||
96 | Jared Thomas | All | ||
Formidable Racing | 32 | Chris Nunes[19] | 1–6 | |
43 | Joey Atanasio[19] | R | All | |
44 | Mickey Thomas | R | 2 | |
Slipstream Performance | 36 | David Staab | All | |
37 | Michael Staab | R | 1–3, 5–7 | |
Sources: [20][21][22][23][24][25][26] |
R = Eligible for Rookie's Championship
Race Results
Bold indicates overall winner.
Round | Circuit | Pole Position | Fastest Lap | Winning Driver | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | R1 | Daytona | #28 McCumbee McAleer Racing | #96 JTR Motorsports Engineering | #51 Copeland Motorsports |
Sam Paley | Jared Thomas | Tyler Gonzalez | |||
R2 | #72 Hixon Motor Sports | #5 Spark Performance | #96 JTR Motorsports Engineering | ||
Connor Zilisch | Gresham Wagner | Jared Thomas | |||
2 | R1 | St. Petersburg | #23 JTR Motorsports Engineering | #89 McCumbee McAleer Racing | #96 JTR Motorsports Engineering |
Glenn McGee | Justin Piscitell | Jared Thomas | |||
R2 | #23 JTR Motorsports Engineering | #89 McCumbee McAleer Racing | #87 Hixon Motor Sports | ||
Glenn McGee | Justin Piscitell | Selin Rollan | |||
3 | R1 | Mid-Ohio | #76 McCumbee McAleer Racing | #28 McCumbee McAleer Racing | #5 Spark Performance |
Matthew Dirks | Sam Paley | Gresham Wagner | |||
R2 | #76 McCumbee McAleer Racing | #08 Carter Racing Enterprises | #96 JTR Motorsports Engineering | ||
Matthew Dirks | Michael Carter | Jared Thomas | |||
4 | R1 | Watkins Glen | #72 Hixon Motor Sports | #21 Hixon Motor Sports | #51 Copeland Motorsports |
Connor Zilisch | Bruno Carneiro | Tyler Gonzalez | |||
R2 | #24 Spark Performance | #76 McCumbee McAleer Racing | #15 McCumbee McAleer Racing | ||
Aaron Jeansonne | Matthew Dirks | Aidan Fassnacht | |||
5 | R1 | Road America | #72 Hixon Motor Sports | #5 Spark Performance | #72 Hixon Motor Sports |
Connor Zilisch | Gresham Wagner | Connor Zilisch | |||
R2 | #72 Hixon Motor Sports | #5 Spark Performance | #72 Hixon Motor Sports | ||
Connor Zilisch | Gresham Wagner | Connor Zilisch | |||
6 | R1 | Virginia | #15 McCumbee McAleer Racing | #51 Copeland Motorsports | #51 Copeland Motorsports |
Aidan Fassnacht | Tyler Gonzalez | Tyler Gonzalez | |||
R2 | #15 McCumbee McAleer Racing | #96 JTR Motorsports Engineering | #72 Hixon Motor Sports | ||
Aidan Fassnacht | Jared Thomas | Connor Zilisch | |||
7 | R1 | Road Atlanta | #28 McCumbee McAleer Racing | #76 McCumbee McAleer Racing | #72 Hixon Motor Sports |
Sam Paley | Matthew Dirks | Connor Zilisch | |||
R2 | #72 Hixon Motor Sports | #39 McCumbee McAleer Racing | #51 Copeland Motorsports | ||
Connor Zilisch | John Jodoin | Tyler Gonzalez |
Championship Standings
Points System
Championship points are awarded at the finish of each event according to the chart below.
Position | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30+ |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Points | 350 | 320 | 300 | 280 | 260 | 250 | 240 | 230 | 220 | 210 | 200 | 190 | 180 | 170 | 160 | 150 | 140 | 130 | 120 | 110 | 100 | 90 | 80 | 70 | 60 | 50 | 40 | 30 | 20 | 10 |
For each race, bonus points are awarded for the following:
Award | Points |
---|---|
Pole Position | 10 |
Most Race Laps Led | 10 |
Fastest Race Lap | 10 |
- The ten (10) additional points for achieving pole position are not awarded if the starting grid is determined by “Other Means”.
- In the case of a tie for the most laps led, the competitor that finishes the highest in the running order is declared the winner.
- In the case of a tie for the fastest Race lap, the competitor that first achieves the fastest Race lap is declared the winner.
Driver's Championship
IMSA recognizes driver champions based on the total number of championship points earned during the season.
|
Bold - Pole position Italics - Fastest lap Underline = Most Laps Led |
‡: Race 1 at Mid-Ohio shortened due to weather, half points awarded except for pole position bonus points.
Entrant's Championship
Each entrant receives championship points for its highest car finishing position in each race. The positions of subsequent finishing cars from the same entrant are not considered in the results and all other cars are elevated in the finishing positions accordingly.
Pos. | Driver | DAY | STP | MOH‡ | WGL | ELK | VIR | ATL | Bonus | Points | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Hixon Motor Sports | 3 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 9 | 2 | 29 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 130 | 4340 |
2 | McCumbee McAleer Racing | 9 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 125 | 4085 |
3 | JTR Motorsports Engineering | 5 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 13 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 70 | 4300 |
4 | Spark Performance | 10 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 60 | 3935 |
5 | Copeland Motorsports | 1 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 19 | 23 | 1 | 14 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 3800 |
6 | Formidable Racing | 2 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 25 | 25 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 3675 |
7 | Slipstream Performance | 11 | 12 | 20 | 12 | 20 | 23 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 15 | 13 | 0 | 3165 |
8 | Thunder Bunny Racing | 20 | 24 | 22 | 15 | 25 | 25 | 18 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 11 | 17 | 15 | 0 | 3160 |
9 | Carter Racing Enterprises | 7 | 29 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 19 | 15 | 27 | 2 | 22 | 10 | 2420 | ||||
Pos. | Driver | DAY | STP | MOH‡ | WGL | ELK | VIR | ATL | Bonus | Points |
‡: Race 1 at Mid-Ohio shortened due to weather, half points awarded except for pole position bonus points.
References
- ^ "Mazda MX-5 Cup unveils 14-race 2022 schedule". racer.com. August 6, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Schedule". www.mx-5cup.com. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ a b "Max Opalski Joins Copeland Motorsports for 2022 MX-5 Cup Season". www.mx-5cup.com. December 2, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Matt Curry Joins Copeland Motorsports in Daytona for Mazda MX-5 Cup Opener". www.mx-5cup.com. December 30, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Copeland Motorsports Adds Jameson Riley to 2022 MX-5 Cup Program". www.mx-5cup.com. December 2, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Tyler Gonzalez and Copeland Motorsports Reconnect for 2022". www.mx-5cup.com. December 20, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Spark Performance Expands to Three-Car MX-5 Cup Effort in 2022". www.mx-5cup.com. January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g "McCumbee McAleer Ready for 2022 MX-5 Cup Season Opener". www.mx-5cup.com. January 25, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Thomas Annunziata Boosts HMS Up to Seven Drivers for VIR". www.mx-5cup.com. August 20, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ "Bruno Carneiro Joins Hixon Motor Sports". www.mx-5cup.com. January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Dante Tornello Joins Hixon Motor Sports for 2022". www.mx-5cup.com. January 18, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Hixon Motor Sports Adds Bryce Cornet to Mazda MX-5 Cup". www.mx-5cup.com. January 11, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Connor Zilisch Commits to HMS with Late Apex Storage for 2022 Season". www.mx-5cup.com. December 21, 2021. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Hixon Motor Sports Expands by Adding Bruno Smielevski". www.mx-5cup.com. August 20, 2022. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
- ^ "Selin "The Machine" Rollan is Back with HMS in 2022". www.mx-5cup.com. January 5, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Aidan Fassnacht and Sword Performance Set for 2022 MX-5 Cup". www.mx-5cup.com. January 27, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "Sam Paley Returns to MMR for 2022 MX-5 Cup Campaign". www.mx-5cup.com. January 4, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "NASCAR Fan Favorite Parker Kligerman Will Race Mazda MX-5 Cup at Road America". www.mx-5cup.com. June 23, 2022. Retrieved July 2, 2022.
- ^ a b "New Team Hits MX-5 Paddock-With 100 Years' Experience". www.mx-5cup.com. January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "2022_MX5_Rolex24_PreEvent_EntryList.pdf" (PDF). IMSA. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 24, 2022. Retrieved January 30, 2022.
- ^ "01_Grid_Race 1_Official.PDF" (PDF). IMSA. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
- ^ "2022_MX5_MidOhio_PreEvent_EntryList.pdf" (PDF). IMSA. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ "MX-5 Watkins Glen Official Entry List.pdf" (PDF). IMSA. Retrieved June 30, 2022.
- ^ "01_Grid_Race 1_Official.PDF" (PDF). IMSA. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
- ^ "2022_mx5_vir_preevententrylist.pdf" (PDF). www.mx-5cup.com. Retrieved February 25, 2023.
- ^ "2022_mx5_roadatlanta_preevent_entrylist.pdf" (PDF). www.mx-5cup.com. Retrieved February 25, 2023.