NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bobby Labonte among Those Turning Laps on the Virginia Oval
August 23, 2023
By Jeff Olson
IMSA Wire Service
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – And now for something completely different.
On its way to VIRginia International Raceway this week, some Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BF Goodrich teams, cars and drivers made an unusual side trip to nearby Martinsville Speedway – the first venture onto an oval track in the IMSA-sanctioned series’ 24-year history.
The two-day test session – which included NASCAR Hall of Famers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bobby Labonte taking turns behind the wheel – gave MX-5 Cup drivers an opportunity to get the feel of an oval while giving officials a sense of the possibility of the MX-5 Cup cars racing at Martinsville in the future.
Scheduling the popular series – which matches spec Mazda MX-5s in wildly entertaining races – at one of NASCAR’s oldest venues could be a natural fit for a series looking to expand and an event seeking additional undercard races.
The possibility, Earnhardt noted, also has the interest of the online racing community, particularly with IMSA partner iRacing.
“A show here would be fantastic,” Earnhardt said. “It already has a cult following in the sim racing world. The series in general is very exciting and well respected. People know when they tune in to MX-5, whether it’s Daytona or Road America, they’re going to see a fantastic show. They know and want to be able to see what that would look like on a short track like Martinsville.” The idea to test at Martinsville emerged at the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen in June at Watkins Glen International, where Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell met with IMSA Chairman Jim France and NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton. Two months later, Mazda MX-5 Cup cars were buzzing around the 76-year-old, 0.526-mile oval on Monday and Tuesday.“It’s just so unique,” said Campbell, who also drove an MX-5 Cup car at the test. “To run at an iconic facility like Martinsville in a traditional road course car? It has everybody pumped. Rarely do I see the attention on social media that I’ve seen out of this test. It’s been phenomenal, and that’s what it’s all about.”
The race cars are versions of Mazda’s popular MX-5 sports cars modified for racing by Flis Performance, with 2.0-liter engines capable of 180 horsepower. The series’ popularity has risen in recent years in great part because of its close racing, which drivers said carried over to the Martinsville oval.
“To be able to marry these two arenas together is certainly special,” said Chad McCumbee, who is not only the co-owner of the MX-5 Cup team McCumbee McAleer Racing, but also has 10 NASCAR Cup Series and 105 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races on his racing resume, as well as 10 career wins in the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge. “I’m going to be the most biased one by far because of my circle-track background but being here at Martinsville and being able to participate in this test is certainly a very special thing for me.” The test was just that – a test – with no assurance that Martinsville will be part of a future MX-5 Cup schedule. But it was an enjoyable experience for everyone involved.Four cars and eight drivers participated in the sessions. Some, like Earnhardt, experienced the car for the first time. Others, like MX-5 Cup veteran Andrew Carbonell, were experiencing the track for the first time.
“It’s quite different in the duration of the turns,” Carbonell said. “It’s a much longer duration in the corners here at Martinsville than we usually encounter at most road courses we travel to throughout the year. It’s interesting to get the balance just right.”Now it’s off to VIR, the 17-turn, 3.27-mile road course in the hills outside Alton, Virginia. MX-5 Cup will race twice – Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET and Sunday at 10:25 a.m. – as part of the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR. Both races will stream live on IMSA.com/TVLive. |
