TeamWWF Driver Ambassador Nathan Nicholson Leading Mazda MX-5 Cup Standings

TeamWWF Driver Ambassador Nathan Nicholson and fellow Mazda MX-5 Cup racing drivers will compete in Ontario, Canada this weekend for Rounds 9-10 of the championship.

Although each round is important, this one holds a little more weight for Nicholson as he sits atop the standings with 2,080 points — 20 points ahead of second and 140 points ahead of third.

With only four rounds left (Virginia, Road Atlanta) after racing at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park this weekend, each race is extremely important as drivers look to collect as many points as possible.

For Nicholson, being No. 1 in such a competitive field is a testament to his dedication and growth. Just last week, during an off week, he was at a track supporting a friend. Nicholson has also supported fellow TeamWWF Driver Ambassador Aaron Jeansonne, who competed in the MX-5 Cup last year, at a handful of his Porsche Carrera Cup races this season.

We’ve all heard the phrase “gym rat.” Well, Nicholson could be considered a “track rat.” He is someone who enjoys soaking up as much racing knowledge as possible when the opportunity presents itself. 

That commitment — on and off the track — has paid off in a big way and is why he leads the MX-5 Cup.

“It is definitely showing that our hard work is paying off,” Nicholson said. “After a lot of promising results last year (series rookie), I didn’t have the consistency I needed. Going into this year, I was focusing on capitalizing on what we are already good at and really finalizing and refining everything we had. I think that has helped my consistency this year.”

Last year, Nicholson, 19, who is from Bloomington, Ind., finished seventh overall in the standings with 2,610 points. Prior to racing in the MX-5 Cup, he was 2023 Mazda Motorsports Scholarship winner as well as the 2023 Spec MX-5 points champion.

The competitiveness of the MX-5 Cup is what makes it exciting for fans to watch. In an ideal world, Nicholson would finish on the podium each round. However, he knows that is not how racing works — especially in this series.

“It is exciting racing for sure. It (the series) is very similar to golf. It is about maximizing your bad results,” Nicholson explained. “If you know you are in a position where it may be a tough weekend, you really are just trying to make the best of that. When you are having a good weekend, all of that will fall into place. Barber (Rounds 5-6 in May), for example, was a really rough weekend, but it could have been much worse. It is about making your bad days good.”

On the flip side, Nicholson had podium finishes in both races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in June. In fact, when taking a closer look at the results, he is the only driver without a poor showing as all of his races have resulted in at least triple-digit points.

Nicholson’s favorite memory of the season came near the beginning of the year while racing on the Streets of St. Petersburg in Florida. Nicholson made an impressive move late in Race 2 on a restart, passing four cars to go from P5 to P1.

“What a move by Nicholson,” the announcer said on the YouTube livestream. “He’s gone to the lead!”

Nicholson wrapped up the weekend in St. Pete with two podium finishes in what was a fantastic start to the season. 

“That track and race was just so enjoyable,” Nicholson said. “Just the environment and it was my first street course.”

As far as the rest of the season goes, Nicholson said chasing “that first win is haunting me a little bit.” However, patience has been a key factor for him to sit at the top of the standings. Now, as the season winds down, it is time to capitalize when he can.

“One thing I have improved on from last year is being more patient,” Nicholson said. “Now, in the second half of the year, there have been moments in races that could have changed a lot. I could have been a little more aggressive and taken what’s mine. 

So, I think going forward we have to be patient and conservative to get as many points as we can but also, you know, get that last little bit of result. You’ve seen over the last couple years it’s been super tight coming down to the line. As soon as we get to Virginia and Road Atlanta, it is going to feel a lot more real.”

Those wanting to watch Nicholson race this weekend in Canada can do so by going to the IMSA Official YouTube channel. Practice sessions are scheduled for Friday while qualifying and Race 1 (5:25 p.m.) will take place on Saturday. Race 2 (10:05 a.m.) is set for Sunday.

Here is the link to watch Race 1: youtube.com/watch?v=gByufbqEZ6s. Be sure to follow TeamWWF on Facebook and Instagram as we will post the YouTube links.

Quick fun fact: Aaron Jeansonne holds the qualifying record at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. He set it last year with a time of 1:31.736.

Looking ahead, Rounds 11-12 of the Mazda MX-5 Cup championship will be held at Virginia International Raceway on August 22-24 while Rounds 13-14 (final rounds) are set for Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta on October 8-10.