Michelin Named Official Tire Supplier and Presenting Sponsor for Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup

January 17, 2024 – The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup series continues to add world-class partners to its ecosystem by welcoming Michelin as the official tire supplier for the one-make championship. With an unparalleled level of support, Michelin additionally becomes the presenting sponsor for Mazda MX-5 Cup.

Joining other IMSA-sanctioned series such as the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and Michelin Pilot Challenge, Mazda MX-5 Cup cars will now be outfitted with Michelin tires. Every vehicle in the series is now required to run Michelin Pilot Sport Competition 20/61-17 racing slicks on all four corners.

MX-5 Cup previously raced on BFGoodrich® tires, a company owned by Michelin, making the transition an easy one.

“We are thrilled to continue being a part of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup with the Michelin brand as the new tire supplier for the series,” said Jason Anzalone, director of North American Motorsports for Michelin. “It is an honor to be a part of the development and growth of these drivers and teams, and we are excited to support another season of action-packed racing.”

Michelin approaches motorsports as a way to develop and prove its technologies in a wide variety of cars, circuits and conditions. With a heritage of endurance racing, including 26 consecutive overall race wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Michelin constantly challenges itself to achieve continuous improvement. As the Official Tire of IMSA, Michelin is a technical partner for many of the world’s top vehicle makers.

“Having Michelin join the Mazda MX-5 Cup family is a perfect fit,” Mazda Motorsports Senior Program Manager Jonathan Applegate said. “The quality of their product is what our drivers need for the close, door-to-door racing the series is known for. Michelin’s sizeable presence in IMSA makes the change seamless for our competitors.”

The new Michelin tires will make their Mazda MX-5 Cup debut in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, January 24 – 26 as part of the Rolex 24 at Daytona event. Race One takes place Thursday, January 25, at 4:15pm ET. Race Two is scheduled for Friday, January 26, at 10:15am ET. Both races will be streamed live on RACER.com and IMSA.com/tvlive.