Mazda MX-5 Cup switches to Michelin-brand tires

PALMETTO, Fla.—Michelin North America Inc. has agreed to become the presenting sponsor of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup, a single-make road-racing series, a move made parallel to switching the series' spec tire choice to the Michelin brand from the BFGoodrich brand.

"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."

Michelin, via the BFG brand, has been the series' spec tire supplier for the past 15 seasons and presenting sponsor for the past decade.

Michelin did not explain the reasons behind making the switch, but Jazon Anzalone, director of North American Motorsports for Michelin, said the new relationship "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."

On the BFGoodrichracing.com website, the Mazda MX-5 Cup is the only road-racing series shown. Otherwise, the BFG brand is heavily involved in various off-road racing venues, including the recently completed Dakar Rally .

The new 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup opens on Jan. 25 and 26 at the Daytona International Speedway as part of the Rolex 24 at Daytona event. Competitors will be using Michelin Pilot Sport Competition 20/61-17 racing slicks. The 2024 series features 14 races at six U.S. and one Canadian race tracks.

The Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup—which features a purpose-built race car based on the fourth-generation Miata two-seat sports car—is sanctioned by the International Motorsports Association (IMSA), which also sanctions the IMSA Weathertech Sports Car Challenge, the premier North American-based endurance-racing competition, for which Michelin also is the designated race tire supplier.

The 2024 season also marks the debut of Whelen Engineering, a developer of emergency warning products, as the series' title sponsor.