Lampe finds Mazda MX-5 Cup redemption in CTMP Race 2

Ethan Lampe (No. 31 Hendricks Motorsports) had something to prove Sunday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. The rookie thought he’d won his first Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin race on Saturday, only to have it taken away in post-race technical inspection. He gave it another try from fifth on the grid and charged to the race win and redemption.

It was, in fact, déjà vu, at the end of Sunday’s 45-minute Round 8 race. Lampe crossed the finish line behind the safety car followed by Bobby Gossett (No. 44 BSI Racing), just as he had on Saturday.

Starting fifth, Lampe gradually worked his way through the lead pack and into second by lap nine when the first full course caution came out.

The race restarted with 21 minutes left on the race clock, but Lampe didn’t waste any time taking over the lead. The racing at CTMP is scrappy, and drivers know they need to be out front, because at any moment a full-course yellow could come out.

That sense of urgency showed as the top five continuously traded positions.

Lampe passed Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering), for the lead on the back straight with 10 minutes to go and Gossett came with him. As that unfolded, several cars tangled in Moss Corner, bringing out the final full-course yellow.

Once again, Lampe took the checkered flag, fists pumping the air, followed by Gossett.

“Today was definitely a harder race,” Lampe said. “It felt like I had less friends out there than I did the first day. I just picked and chose at the right time and just tried to manage the race as best as I could. There were times where I got up to second, then fell back to eighth, and then just kept shuffling back and forth, almost like Daytona. Every lap, you're in a different position. I just tried to position myself in a spot where I was comfortable and try to be around the right people on the racetrack, and we're able to get it done.”

The ability to refocus after a setback is something that can take years for a driver to master, but Lampe appears to have accomplished it in short order.

“Yesterday was the greatest day of my life, and then it very quickly went south,” Lampe said. “It’s unfortunate, but it's part of racing sometimes. All you can do is keep your head high and know that you're going into a new day and hope for the best.

“I went out there knowing we had a piece capable of winning. We were able to do it the first day, and I just didn't let anything stop me from staying in the right headspace.”

Gossett agreed that Sunday’s race felt tougher than Saturday’s.

“Even though we were only starting three spots back from where we were yesterday, it felt like even more,” Gossett said. “Yesterday I felt like we got pretty lucky in the beginning and got to the front quick. Today, I knew we had to work quick and get to the front quick, and I guess we did that. I was very surprised about that to be completely honest. I guess we worked through the traffic well. I would say in this race, overall, we just felt way better, and I'm glad to get P2 for sure.”

Thomas was bummed to see the race end under yellow, knowing he had a car capable of the win and coming off a disappointing Saturday race.

“It was really a chippy race from like fourth through eighth,” Thomas said. “But once I got through that tornado of drivers, I was able to get into a spot where I could settle, and we were a bit more organized and could kind of game plan a little bit. It’s unfortunate that the race ended under caution there, but congrats to Ethan [Lampe], very deserving, and we'll move on to VIR.”

In addition to the third-place trophy, Thomas earned the Penske Shocking Performance Award for advancing 13 positions during the race.

Justin Adakonis (No. 22 McCumbee McAleer Racing) further solidified his championship points lead with a fourth-place finish. He inches closer to the $250,000 championship prize as the season passes the halfway mark.

In his first race of the season, 2025 Rookie of the Year Helio Meza (No. 7 BSI Racing) ran with the top group in both races and even led several laps. Ultimately, he came away with a fifth-place finish.

The battle for this year’s Rookie of the Year is still anyone’s game. Ethan Jacobs (No. 99 JDH Racing) and John Salerno (No. 34 JTR Motorsports Engineering) had great races on Saturday, but DNFs on Sunday, while Frankie Barroso (No. 48 Spark Performance) and Marcello Paniccia (No. 38 McCumbee McAleer Racing) each scored a pair of top-10 finishes. The MX-5 Cup Rookie of the Year wins $80,000 toward their sophomore season.

Charlotte Traynor (No. 43 Parker DeLong Racing) was awarded the highest-finishing female driver award for crossing the finish line in 16th.

The Takumi Award for highest finishing driver over the age of 40 went to Damon Ockey (No. 09 BSI Racing). It is his first Takumi trophy.

Next up for Mazda MX-5 Cup is Rounds 9 and 10 at VIRginia International Raceway, Aug. 21 – 23. Both races will be streamed live on the IMSA and RACER YouTube channels, where all races are also archived and available to watch anytime.

RESULTS to follow