The 2021 Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BF Goodrich was a single-make motor racing championship, the 17th season of the Mazda MX-5 Cup and the 1st under a new sanctioning agreement with the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA). The series began on January 28 at Daytona International Speedway, and concluded on November 12 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta after 14 rounds. Gresham Wagner won the driver's championship, earning Spark Performance the entrant's championship as well. Sam Paley won the Rookie of the Year championship with McCumbee McAleer Racing.

Schedule The schedule was initially announced on October 28, 2020, and features 14 rounds across seven double-header weekends. On December 17, 2020, the schedule was revised, along with the 2021 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship schedule, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

On January 6, 2021, the St. Petersburg event was rescheduled from its March date to April 23–25, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On February 8, 2021, IMSA announced an additional double-header event to be held during the 12 Hours of Sebring event weekend in March. Rounds 3 and 4 at Sebring will serve as a replacement for a future race venue to be announced at a later date. Thus, the 2021 MX-5 Cup Championship will still be composed of 14 rounds at seven tracks.

On April 7, 2021, the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park event scheduled for July 2-4 was cancelled due to COVID-19 quarantine requirements.

All races are 45 minutes in length. Rnd.CircuitLocationDates1Daytona International Speedway (Road Course) Daytona Beach, FloridaJanuary 27-2923Sebring International Raceway Sebring, FloridaMarch 17-1945Streets of St. Petersburg St. Petersburg, FloridaApril 23–2567Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Lexington, OhioMay 14–1689Road America Elkhart Lake, WisconsinAugust 6–81011WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca Monterey, CaliforniaSeptember 10–121213Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Braselton, GeorgiaNovember 10-1214Source:

Confirmed Entries All competitors utilize the Mazda MX-5 Cup car, modified to their homologated racing specification by Flis Performance. TeamNo.DriverRounds Carter Racing Enterprises08 Michael CarterAll Copeland Motorsports4 Bryan Ortiz1–826 Peter Atwater1–2, 5–838 Daniel Williams1–1041 Luca MarsAll43 Joey Atanasio1–251 Dean Copeland11–12 Hixon Motorsports37 Sabré Cook1–242 Preston Pardus1–247 Bryan Hixon1–1263 Savanna Little1–10, 13–1472 Hannah Grisham1–2 Connor Zilisch13–1473 Dan Moen3–487 Selin RollanAll92 Loni UnserAll98 Derek Ware1–211 Andrew Carbonell9–1022 Alex Berg13–14 Irish Mike's Racing95 Todd Buras3–4 JTR Motorsports Engineering32 Chris NunesAll96 Jared ThomasAll82 Woody Heimann7–1426 Peter Atwater9–1497 Daniel Williams11–1269 Anthony McIntosh13–14 McCumbee McAleer Racing13 Jenson AltzmanAll28 Sam PaleyAll31 John Jodoin3–4, 8–1248 Zachry Lee3–8,11–1255 Moisey UretskyAll89 Justin PiscitellAll Provision Motorsports24 Aaron Jeansonne1–1499 Drake Kemper1–8, 13–1443 Joey Atanasio3–499 Drake Kemper1–8, 13–14 Bruno Carneiro11–12 Slipstream Performance12 Mike Globe3–4, 7–10, 13–1420 Hernan Palermo1–4, 7–1433 Alex BachouraAll36 David StaabAll Spark Performance5 Gresham WagnerAll Team Guatemala Racing59 Juan Hernandez Leiva1–8Sources: = Eligible for Rookie's Championship

Race results Rnd.CircuitWinning driverPole positionFastest lapHard Charger1Daytona Gresham Wagner Gresham Wagner Gresham Wagner Jenson Altzman2 Michael Carter Gresham Wagner Preston Pardus Hernan Palermo3Sebring Selin Rollan Gresham Wagner Chris Nunes Todd Buras4 Gresham Wagner Sam Paley Michael Carter Todd Buras5St. Petersburg Selin Rollan Michael Carter Michael Carter Aaron Jeansonne6 Michael Carter Michael Carter Selin Rollan Alex Bachoura7Mid-Ohio Selin Rollan Michael Carter Selin Rollan Luca Mars8 Chris Nunes Gresham Wagner Hernan Palermo Luca Mars9Road America Selin Rollan Selin Rollan Gresham Wagner Michael Carter10 Michael Carter Gresham Wagner Michael Carter John Jodoin11Laguna Seca Gresham Wagner Selin Rollan Selin Rollan Alex Bachoura12 Gresham Wagner Selin Rollan Bruno Carneiro Moisey Uretsky13Road Atlanta Gresham Wagner Gresham Wagner Connor Zilisch Chris Nunes14 Jared Thomas Selin Rollan Jared Thomas Luca Mars

Championship Standings

Points System Championship points are awarded at the finish of each event according to the chart below. Position123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930 or belowPoints350320300280260250240230220210200190180170160150140130120110100908070605040302010 For each race, bonus points are awarded for the following: AwardPointsPole Position10Most Race Laps Led10Fastest Race Lap10

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. Pos.DriverDAYSEBSTPMOHELKLGAATLBonusPoints12345678910111213141 Gresham Wagner13311734225111612043302 Michael Carter9122216641463310042403 Selin Rollan64191181713225211041504 Chris Nunes41012103612157193471034305 Sam Paley2572220221532659 92034106 Luca Mars13926754731289474032107 Justin Piscitell5642519935710237610029808 Aaron Jeansonne812641021131984320822028009 Jared Thomas322582116524†22DNS582110275010 Jenson Altzman162527641711221067101080256011 David Staab22161714111214201111202213120219012 Alex Bachoura1824161391118212014111317170212013 Moisey Uretsky242119261613199151314921110204014 Hernan Palermo27†141124810921819112110190015 Bryan Hixon1419151713142213161517150182016 Loni Unser25261815710162314121614DNSDNS0176017 Bryan Ortiz11111336515120174018 Daniel Williams2122141222†81018191618180174019 Drake Kemper19851117 DNS25†818140154020 Peter Atwater151781921DNSDNS17151712200149021 Savanna Little2323201914202314171819180144022 Zachry Lee9161515171110160139023 Juan Hernandez17272318127940132024 Woody Heimann20171322121214150123025 John Jodoin10232191311099026 Mike Globe2221241618202019088027 Joey Atanasio10152420055028 Preston Pardus772050029 Todd Buras85049030 Andrew Carbonell619037031 Sabré Cook1213037032 Connor Zilisch2251036033 Alex Berg1613033034 Anthony McIntosh1516031035 Hannah Grisham2020022036 Bruno Carneiro22211020037 Derek Ware2618018038 Dean Copeland2123018039 Dan Moen21270140Pos.DriverDAYSEBSTPMOHELKLGAATLBonusPoints Bold = Pole Position

Italics = Fastest Race Lap

Underline = Most Laps Led

† = Post-race penalty; moved to back of class

Entrant's Championship Each Entrant receives championship points for its highest Car finishing position in each class 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.EntrantDAYSEBSTPMOHELKLGAATLBonusPoints12345678910111213141Spark Performance13311734225111612044502Hixon Motorsports64191101713225214043503Carter Racing Enterprises9122216641463310042804JTR Motorsports Engineering3212836515753212040405McCumbee McAleer Racing254642253265682039506Copeland Motorsports101513354731289474036007Provision Motorsports88541021138843208141035008Slipstream Performance19141113911142091181311121032809Team Guatemala Racing17272318127940186010Irish Mike's Racing850510Pos.EntrantDAYSEBSTPMOHELKLGAATLBonusPoints Bold = Pole Position

Italics = Fastest Race Lap

Underline = Most Laps Led

Rookie's Championship Rookie points are awarded based on the Car’s finishing position for each Rookie Driver, with the finishing positions of Cars without Rookie Drivers not considered in the results and all other Cars with Rookie Drivers elevated in the finishing positions accordingly. Pos.DriverDAYSEBSTPMOHELKLGAATLPoints12345678910111213141 Sam Paley2572220221532659942902 Chris Nunes410121036121571934742503 Luca Mars1392675473128947441404 Aaron Jeansonne81264102113198432082239205 Jenson Altzman1625276417112710671010837206 Daniel Williams2122141222†810181916181828707 Savanna Little23232019142023141718191827408 Peter Atwater151781921DNSDNS171517122023909 Juan Hernandez1727231812794203010 Woody Heimann2017132212121415193011 John Jodoin10232191311149012 Joey Atanasio1015242099013 Connor Zilisch22552014 Sabré Cook121352015 Alex Berg161347016 Anthony McIntosh151646017 Hannah Grisham2020440Pos.DriverDAYSEBSTPMOHELKLGAATLPoints † = Post-race penalty; moved to back of class

References

External links Official Website