With Chase Elliott and Mike Helton as fans, MX-5 Cup draws NASCAR crossover interest

After practice for his Rolex 24 at Daytona debut, Chase Elliott decided to linger on Action Express’ pit timing stand to watch the Mazda MX-5 Cup 2021 season opener.

The four-time most popular driver in NASCAR wasn’t disappointed by the action. Drafting in tight packs on the banks of Daytona International Speedway while banging fenders through the track’s infield road course, the race produced a thrilling finish with the top four separated by less than 0.2 seconds at the checkered flag.

“That was one of the best races I’ve ever watched, just as a fan sitting there,” Elliott said with a broad smile while recalling the event at Nashville Superspeedway last weekend. “I thought it was really cool. And those guys put on a great show, but I think that track really suited the way those cars were kind of set up and they could draft, they were going slow enough where they really drafted on the straightaways. And then they looked really fun to drive through the road course section. And it had this really cool balance. I thought it was really entertaining.”

Elliott has become a casual fan, occasionally watching MX-5 Cup races and highlights – and he plans to be watching in person this weekend at Road America when the sports car series will race twice as a companion event to the Xfinity and Cup Series (while IMSA’s premier WeatherTech SportsCar Championship races in Canada).

Elliott has become one of many NASCAR connections to the Mazda MX-5 Cup. By virtue of being sanctioned since last year by IMSA (which is owned by NASCAR), there already are some natural instances of convergence, but the Road America entry list features several more ties. MX-5 Cup rookie Connor Zilisch is managed by Kevin Harvick Inc., and series title contender Chris Nunes hails from the same Southern California region as seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.

But it’s the memorable racing that has built even stronger bonds. MX-5 Cup races have become appointment viewing for NASCAR executive vice president Mike Helton when he attends IMSA race weekends.

“It’s been fun to have the MX-5 Cup property and putting it in front of our audience and NASCAR folks,” IMSA president John Doonan told NBC Sports. “Mike definitely loves coming to IMSA races to watch MX-5 Cup. Anyone who is a race fan, whether short track stock car race or a road course race, wants to see a good show. And no question MX-5 Cup puts on a great show every time they’re out there.”

Parker Kligerman will get firsthand experience with a doubleheader Saturday and Sunday (both race will be streamed at 10 a.m. ET on IMSA.com), making his MX-5 Cup debut in the No. 75 of Thunder Bunny Racing. Kligerman, who races part time in NASCAR while also working as an NBC Sports pit reporter, caught the eye of MX-5 Cup officials when he tweeted that the series consistently delivered outstanding racing.

In his MX-5 Cup practice debut Friday, Kligerman turned the ninth-fastest lap.

“They looked at the schedule this year, and Road America being the first companion race with NASCAR, they said it would be fun if someone from NASCAR would come race,” Kligerman told NBC Sports. “And they asked if I was interested, and it was, ‘100 percent.’

“It’s a cool thing. I’ve always wanted to experience this, and I got to race a spec Miata at Lime Rock (the track co-owned by Kligerman) last year and had a blast, and this is the top level of that, essentially. So I was like, ‘Sign me up!’ I’m pumped because I think it just looks like some of the most fun, pure racing. You grow up thinking as a kid this is what racing is going to be like all the time. Packs of cars, using aerodynamics, slingshot passes and that sort of thing. It doesn’t quite work out that way when you get to the top, but this looks like it would be that.”

Kligerman, who discussed Mazda’s racing history during his “In The Wall” video series this week, believes the quality of racing can be traced to the MX-5 Cup’s production-based formula, which shares some traits with NASCAR’s new Next Gen car in Cup.

As a former Mazda executive, Doonan helped build the series more than 15 years ago. MX-5 Cup moved to its current model in 2015. The cars are built in Mazda’s primary factory in Hiroshima, Japan, and shipped to Florida, where they are transformed into race cars by Fils Performance in Daytona Beach.

More than 250 motorsports-specific parts are added to the production car, along with a full roll cage and sealed engines, transmissions, shocks and ECUs.

“In a lot of ways, the MX-5 Cup car philosophy aligns exactly with what the Next Gen car is all about,” Doonan said. “This cost-effective platform that level-sets for whatever the team size is. There’s a one-car team that have won the championship twice. That’s the philosophy that MX-5 has.

“It is no secret that racing is some of the best in the world. The close finishes. The racecraft that it teaches. And it’s also very cost effective for the competitors. The car is all about setup and driving talent.”

Doonan is hopeful of a “One NASCAR” philosophy possibly helping foster more crossover to MX-5 Cup in the future. Though manufacturer loyalties to Chevy, Ford and Toyota might limit the options for stars such as Elliott, some other NASCAR veterans have expressed interest in racing the series.

“The more the NASCAR-owned properties that can work together, the better,” Doonan said. “And given the opportunities with a few more road courses on the (Cup) schedule, it opens up opportunities to bring a different look and property to the NASCAR audience. And the MX-5 audience and IMSA audience as a whole has a different perspective on NASCAR these days with the new car and more road courses. You’re seeing a lot of parallels.”

Kligerman, who is squeezing in driving the MX-5 Cup car in between his NASCAR on NBC pit work this weekend, said some drivers have told him they are jealous of his moonlighting this weekend.

“I hope I represent NASCAR well,” said Kligerman, a two-time winner in the truck series. “I hope Chase and everyone is proud of me. I’m jumping in the deep end with very little practice, but I’m going in open-minded knowing I could suck. I hope to be respectful and improve throughout the weekend.

“I definitely could see more NASCAR guys racing (MX-5 Cup) as long as they can get their manufacturer approval to do it. We’re all racers. We can appreciate great racing. And when we see something that looks like it would just be fun, that’s really enticing. I can imagine a bunch of guys want to do it.”

With Chase Elliott and Mike Helton as fans, MX-5 Cup draws NASCAR crossover interest originally appeared on NBCSports.com