Under sunny skies at Daytona International Speedway, Jared Thomas (No. 96 JTR Motorsports Engineering) secured his third series victory in an action-packed Round 2 of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin.

The race began dramatically with a multi-car incident near the front of the field, affecting several competitors. After the restart, Thomas demonstrated his championship experience by quickly moving through the field from fourth position to challenge polesitter Nate Cicero.

In a thrilling final lap, Thomas executed a perfectly timed move with help from Todd Buras, securing victory by a mere 0.038 seconds. Buras finished second and earned the Takumi Award as the top driver over 40, while rookie Ren Messinger claimed third in his MX-5 Cup debut.

Notable performances included:

• Nathan Nicholson's impressive climb from 31st to 4th, earning the "Penske Shocking Performance Award"
• Ashlyn Speed, Mazda Women in Motorsports Initiative Scholarship winner, advancing from 34th to finish 16th
• Jeremy Fletcher's remarkable run from 26th to briefly lead the race

This marks Thomas's third Daytona victory, following his wins in 2022 and 2023 - both years he went on to win the season championship. The series continues with Rounds 3 and 4 at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, February 28-March 2.

Both race replays are available on The RACER Channel on YouTube.

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