The IMSA-Sanctioned Series Returns to Where It All Began in 2006
When the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires 2023 schedule was revealed at the IMSA State of the Sport on Aug. 5, there was one event missing from the calendar. That date is now confirmed to be WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.
Rounds 5 and 6 of the Mazda MX-5 Cup series will take place May 12-14 at the celebrated 2.238-mile road course. The track was not part of this year’s schedule.
“Racing under the IMSA umbrella provides our drivers and teams with the opportunity to race on some of the absolute best tracks on the continent, and we are really pleased with the 2023 schedule,” Mazda Motorsports Program Manager Jonathan Applegate said. “We get an early start to the season once again with our launch in Daytona, and we’ve worked to have a good cadence of events through the year. Mazda has such a great history with the track, so it is great to get this final piece of our schedule puzzle in place for next season as our Mazda MX-5 Cup paddock loves the chance to race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.”
Mazda MX-5 Cup and WeatherTech Raceway have a special history: the first-ever MX-5 Cup race took place there in 2006. Ten years later, the ND model version of the race car made its debut there.
Other events on the 2023 MX-5 Cup schedule are: Daytona International Speedway, Jan. 25-27; St. Petersburg street course, March 3-5; Watkins Glen International, June 23-25; Road America, Aug. 4-6; VIRginia International Raceway, Aug. 25-27; and Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Oct. 11-13.
The 2022 MX-5 Cup season comes to a close September 28-30 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.