DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (January 28, 2026) \u2013 PT Autosport and Wheels America Racing\u2019s Max Stallone \u2013 the 2025 Mazda MX-5 Cup scholarship winner \u2013 came into his first Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin with plans to begin his education process in a new car and a new series.<\/p>\n
That goal was accomplished, though the on-track result did not show the team\u2019s level of commitment, strategy and hard work through practices and the pair of 45-minute races. As the 45-car field came out of turn one on Thursday\u2019s race one, Stallone was hit and taken out of the race. Starting near the back in Friday\u2019s race two, he made smart passes and avoided incidents, coming home in 30th.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust being here and being able to show a bit of what we can do is a dream,\u201d said Stallone. \u201cIn my opinion, this is a destination series, and this track is on everybody’s bucket list, so regardless of the outcome, it was surreal and awesome to be here. The kind of racing we saw is just a byproduct of the competitive nature of the series \u2013 it certainly makes for great racing, even though I came out on the wrong side of that this weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
The 19-year-old Austin, Texas native and the Wheels America team that had nurtured his talent through two outstanding seasons in Spec Miata \u2013 along with his junior development team, PT Autosport \u2013 had set themselves a tall task: learn a car that is completely different from the Spec Miata, and learn a new series, with new procedures and an abundance of fan interest (WeatherTech SportsCar Championship teams and drivers could be seen stopping to watch snippets of the wheel-to-wheel action on the big screen near pit lane).<\/p>\n
The team had a pair of practice sessions on Wednesday to learn the track and the car as quickly as possible. But with a record number of cars on track, red flags were inevitable, including one that deleted Stallone\u2019s quick lap time late in the second practice. Heading out for qualifying Thursday morning, Stallone and the team worked to find a solid train to join on a track where drafting pays healthy dividends\u2013 to no avail, as he posted the 34th quickest lap while running on his own.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe team is new to the series, and there’s just a lot to learn in terms of my own driving here,\u201d said Stallone. \u201cWe had a lot of red flags in the two practices, so I wasn\u2019t able to really learn the track or find a rhythm in the first session. We knew we had pace, but we also knew we needed to be in the draft \u2013 but then the timing in quali didn’t shake out the way we thought it would. We thought there would be more chaos so the spot we put ourselves in just wasn’t super optimal, and I think that’s where the two seconds of lap time is. But the car felt solid through the infield so with a few good cars to draft with, I think I’ll be able to pass people on the infield sections and move my way up.\u201d<\/p>\n The plan, however, was sent astray before it began, as another car tagged Stallone in the right rear going through turn two. The car would not restart, putting him out of the race.<\/p>\n Stallone started race two in 37th and maintained that position through two lengthy cautions early in the race. Once the race returned to green, Stallone put his head and his foot down, and in a sterling 10-minute stretch brought No. 3 Wheels America Racing\/PT Autosport entry in 33rd \u2013 at the front of a four-car pack that was ready to push forward. But a third caution stalled his progress and set up a 5:40 sprint to the checkered flag. Stallone steered clear to take 30th at the checkered flag.<\/p>\n Standing next to his Mazda MX-5 Cup car, looking at the multiple tire marks and damage, Stallone acknowledged the incredibly competitive nature of the series.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI think I got hit probably 4 times, I don’t even remember all of them,\u201d said Stallone. \u201c<\/p>\n One of them destroyed the toe in the wheel and just made the car handle all over the place.<\/p>\n But I was able to finish and get points, but I\u2019m disappointed we didn’t get to show the kind of pace that we had. But there’s plenty more to come, this was just round one.\u201d<\/p>\n PT Autosport team principal Jason Myers was disappointed for Stallone, but knows his talent will shine through as the season continues.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was great being back at Daytona, for the first time in a long while, and for Max\u2019s first Whelen Mazda MX-Cup race,\u201d said Myers. \u201cThe competition was fierce! Qualifying and the races didn\u2019t go as planned, but that\u2019s racing. We\u2019re really looking forward to the next race at St. Pete and the rest of the season – we know Max will rebound from this. He\u2019s committed to this program, and we know his talent will take him places.\u201d<\/p>\n Next up for the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin series will be the doubleheader as part of INDYCAR\u2019s season opener in St. Petersburg, Fla. Both races will be streamed live on the IMSA<\/a> and Racer magazine<\/a> YouTube channels.<\/p>\n PT Autosport would like to thank our Partners for their continued support:<\/p>\n Mazda Motorsports<\/b><\/a> <\/b>has been winning races around the world for 50 years. From Le Mans, France to Daytona International Speedway in Florida, Mazdas have been a constant presence at racetracks around the globe, garnering wins and championships in races too numerous to list \u2013 and the list keeps growing.<\/p>\n Mazda Motorsports is responsible for all auto racing initiatives within the North American market, from promoting and servicing grassroots racers to developing sports car professionals of the future. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Instagram: MazdaMotorsports<\/a><\/p>\n X: Mazda Motorsports<\/a><\/p>\n Facebook:\u00a0 <\/span> MazdaMotorsports<\/a><\/p>\n Stallone supports <\/b>Hope Farm<\/b><\/a>, <\/b>founded in the Dallas\/Fort Worth area in 1997 as a long-term leadership development program that guides at-risk boys, without the benefit of a positive male role model in their homes, from the time they are 5-7 years old until high school graduation and beyond. Staff and volunteers are dedicated to meeting the spiritual, nutritional, academic, emotional, and recreational needs of each young man to break the cycle of fatherlessness.<\/p>\n Instagram: @hope.farm<\/a><\/p>\n X: @HopeFarmInc<\/a><\/p>\n Facebook: Hope Farm, Inc.<\/a><\/p>\n About PT Autosport \u2014 Discover Unique Talent. Develop Champions.<\/p>\n PT Autosport provides merit-based motorsport industry opportunities for diverse individuals with high integrity, grit, and coach-ability, achieved through a development program for young aspiring drivers, engineers, mechanics, and other professionals. The first step of this process is applying for the annual Aspiring Driver Shootout<\/a>, in which aspiring drivers aged 18-23 can compete for a team racing partnership with the team.<\/p>\n A rigorous evaluation process of applicants determines the final competitors for the driver shootout. The winner earns financial support of up to $250,000 ($50,000 guaranteed) to pursue their racing career. The review process also provides the team the chance to identify unique talent for other roles in motorsport, including race engineers, mechanics, and professionals.<\/p>\n PT Autosport is building a community that fosters the development of young talent to find a place where they can make an impact in the motorsport community as a career.<\/p>\n Instagram: @pt_autosport<\/a><\/p>\n X: @PtAutosport<\/a><\/p>\n Facebook: PT Autosport<\/a><\/p>\n YouTube: PT Autosport<\/a><\/p>\n