Pocono COO Igdalsky joins CJ Wilson Racing for Mazda MX-5 Cup races

CJ Wilson Racing will add the COO of Pocono Raceway, Nick Igdalsky, to its four-car SCCA Pro Racing Mazda MX-5 Cup powered by BFGoodrich team for this weekend's double-header at Road America.

The 36-year-old Igdalsky has more than two decades of experience in all forms of racing, having started his professional career in the open-wheel Bertil Roos F2000 Pro Series cars back in 1994. After taking a break from racing to earn degrees in Marketing and Management from Elon University in North Carolina, he has competed in the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series Budweiser Pure Stock Division based at Boston Speedway, Va. and the Bertil Roos F2000 Pro Series and the ARCA stock car series (pictured). He finished sixth on his home track in last week's ARCA race at Pocono.

Igdalsky embraces both forms of racing enjoying the differences between the two and the unique challenges of both. "Stock car racing can be a bit more physical, with door-handle-to-door-handle racing, but the more cerebral nature of road racing also really appeals to me," said Igdalsky. Of his expectations for his MX-5 Cup debut, Igdalsky added, "A top-10 finish would make me smile and anything better than that would be fantastic!" If Igdalsky could break into the top 10 at Road America it would be quite a remarkable feat coming just one week after his career best sixth place finish in the ARCA ModSpace 125 at his home track of Pocono Raceway.

The former Sprint Cup star and current CJWR Continental Tire Series ace, Chad McCumbee, who teamed with Igdalsky in ARCA, is excited to be in the same paddock one again with his ex-teammate for at least one weekend this season. "I consider Nick a great personal friend of mine going back to our days together in the ARCA series," said McCumbee. Having past experience in road racing, he adapted very quickly to stock cars. It is awesome to have him as part of our team this coming weekend. I look for him to be a sure podium contender in both races!"

Round 9 of the Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by BFGoodrich takes place on the 4.048-mile, 14 turn Road America circuit on Saturday Aug. 9 at 7 p.m. CST with Round 10 on Sunday at 10:50 a.m. CST.