In Race 1 of the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup at St. Petersburg, Gresham Wagner earned his first win of 2023 after a race-long battle with Connor Zilisch.
Gresham Wagner and Spark Performance headed to the street course in St. Petersburg for the fourth time, with the event being one of the few Wagner had not previously won at. The event started well, as Wagner led practice before qualifying second.
As the first race of the event started, Wagner quickly jumped to the lead, followed by Connor Zilisch. The two were in a class of their own and convincingly drove away from the rest of the field behind. Zilisch eventually got the rear of Wagner, and made a move for the lead. Willing to run in second with plenty of margin behind, Wagner conceded the position and the front two remained in the same position for the majority of the race. Coming to the white flag, Wagner made his move for the lead, and moved into first place on the final lap. In the final corner of the race, Zilisch slipped up the inside of Wagner, and the two raced side-by-side to the line. Wagner narrowly snatched victory at the line.
In Race 2, Wagner was crashed out of the race by another competitor. He did not finish the race and lost his championship lead as a result.
However, the event still yielded Wagner and the Team’s first win of the season and his first victory at St. Petersburg. The entire team is looking forward to the next event at Laguna Seca, and will hopefully have a more consistent outing in California. The event takes place May 12-14.