Former Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout champion Glenn McGee (No. 23 JTR Performance Engineering) will start Round Three of the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires from pole position on Friday. It is the first career pole for McGee, who has not been behind the wheel of a MX-5 Cup car since 2016.
In 2015 McGee earned a spot in the Mazda MX-5 Cup Shootout based on his iRacing performance. He won that shootout and was able to compete in a full-season of MX-5 Cup racing in 2016 but has been behind the scenes coaching and sim racing since then.
Late in the 20-minute session shortened by one red flag, McGee turned a new MX-5 Cup qualifying lap record of 1m24.576s.
“I cannot believe it. I got so emotional in the car. I’ve come from simulators to pro racing in the most competitive series in North America some would say, certainly in sports cars,” McGee said. “There are so many talented drivers here and I really look up to them. I haven’t driven in a long time, so to come back after such a long time and for my partners at iRacing and Global Power Components to get me back in the car that JTR made so fast for me and to get pole… I’m so emotional about it, because it means so much to me.”
McGee will share the front row with reigning MX-5 Cup Champion Gresham Wager (No. 5 Spark Performance).
Round Three of Mazda MX-5 Cup on the streets of St. Petersburg goes green at 4:40 p.m. ET and will be livestreamed on RACER.com.
