Gossett Retakes Championship Lead
Provisional Race 2 Results
Provisional Points
INDIANAPOLIS, – Nathan Nicholson (No. 56 Advanced Autosports) grew up watching races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, dreaming of the day he’d be able to take his own victory lap across the yard of bricks. His dream became reality on Sunday, when he won the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race.
He came up one spot short in Saturday’s race at IMS, but Nicholson would not be denied victory on Sunday. He led all but three laps in the 45-minute race that was interrupted by one full-course caution.
The race started with an all-Indiana front row, as Nicholson, from Bloomington, started alongside polesitter Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) who hails from North Vernon. Both of them got bested by third-starting Matt Novak (No. 11 Advanced Autosports) who took over the lead on the opening lap.
Nicholson was around his teammate and into the lead on the following lap and it looked like that trio was starting to pull away from the field, but Novak and Thomas’ side-by-side racing quickly eliminated the gap they had built.
Thomas eventually got hung out to dry by a long pack of cars who freight-trained past him. The train included Thomas’ championship rivals, Justin Adakonis (No. 23 McCumbee McAleer Racing) and Bobby Gossett (No. 44 BSI Racing). They took up the battle for third as Nicholson and Novak worked together to get away up front.
It was at this point and time that a new name showed up in the top five: Logan Stretch (No. 98 Wheels America Racing). Saturday’s MX-5 Cup race was Stretch’s best showing to-date when the rookie finished sixth. Prior to that, he’d only had one finish in the top 10.
Stretch showed he was in contention for a win when he took the lead 15 minutes into the race. He held the lead for two laps before Nicholson was once again back out front.
The race’s only full-course caution came out shortly thereafter. Peter Atwater (No. 26 JTR Motorsports Engineering) took a trip into the tire barriers at Turn Seven after he and John Slarno (No. 34 JTR Motorsports Engineering) made contact, and an extended cleanup period was needed before racing could resume with eight minutes remaining on the clock.
Nicholson would not be denied. In the sprint to the finish, Stretch had the speed to keep up with Nicholson but not pass him. On the last lap Stretch needed to focus more on holding off Jeremy Fletcher (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing).
Coming out of the last turn, Fletcher drafted past Stretch and set his sights on Nicholson but didn’t have enough room to catch him before they crossed the famous bricks.
A jubilant Nicholson pumped his fist in the air as he took the checkered flag 0.251-second ahead of Fletcher. The Hoosier followed it up with an impressive series of donuts in Turn One. Not only had he won his first MX-5 Cup race, but he did it at home.
“Yesterday, we led a lot of the race, until the last two laps, and I’d been in a lot of these races and seen races to the (finish) line,” Nicholson explained. “I tried to set that up yesterday, but it didn’t work the way that I thought it would and I didn’t end up getting Bobby [Gossett] at the line,” said Nicholson. “So today I knew I had a better car than Bobby and was running really well, so I just thought, why not do what he did? Lead the last couple laps and save some tire and brake at the end and I just tried to jet away on that last lap, created a gap, and drove to the win.
“I’ve been in this series for a while now, and it’s done so much for my career, and I’ve started doing other stuff,” said Nicholson, who started a handful of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races this year. “So it’s nice to finally get one of these and say I’m a winner in MX-5 Cup. Hopefully I can get a couple more at Atlanta and end on a super high note!”
Fletcher was surprised to find himself in the runner-up spot after struggling all weekend.
“I felt like we were driving an NC (previous generation Miata) out there all day,” Fletcher said. “The car setup was amazing. It was nothing to do with the guys. There’s just something in the power plant. I couldn’t really get anywhere down the straightaway. It was a good day though. I mean, good points, coming back, trying to finish the season strong. Nathan had a win coming. He deserves it and we’ll keep our head held high and go on to the next one.”
It looked like it could be a win at one point, but it was the third step for Stretch at the finish. Still, for a rookie with a new team, a podium is a podium.
“Coming across the line to the white flag, we had a gap to P3, so I kind of figured I wouldn’t try anything into Turn One with Nate [Nicholson], you know, just try to push him,” Stretch said. “But he was super mega in the infield. I just couldn’t stay with him.
“Words can’t describe the feeling (of getting first MX-5 Cup podium), it’s amazing,” said Stretch. “Man, we worked so hard. It’s our first year in the series as a team and we’re just a two-car effort. Oh my God! I don’t even have words.”
Gossett, Saturday’s race winner, finished fourth and took over the championship lead in part due to a heartbreaking last lap for Adakonis, the previous championship leader.
Adakonis had been running in the top five most of the race but slowed to a complete stop on the last lap with a mechanical issue and was scored in 28th place.
Nicholson’s Advanced Autosports teammate Novak completed the top five.
Ellie Gossett (No. 77 BSI Racing) swept the highest finishing female award for the weekend, as did Christian Hodneland (No. 32 BSI Racing) when it came to the Takumi Award for drivers over the age of 40.
Ethan Lampe (No. 31 Hendricks Motorsports) started at the back of the grid because of an engine change overnight but moved all the way to seventh at the finish. This earned him the Penske Shocking Performance Award.
Both races from Indianapolis Motor Speedway are available to watch anytime on the IMSA and RACER YouTube channels.
The 2026 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup season will wrap up in two weeks’ time at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, September 30 – October 2, as part of the Petit Le Mans event.