{"id":151779,"date":"2026-02-11T16:50:42","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T16:50:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/151779\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T16:50:42","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T16:50:42","slug":"bourdais-to-guest-star-in-st-petersburg-mx-5-cup-races","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/151779\/","title":{"rendered":"Bourdais To Guest Star In St. Petersburg MX-5 Cup Races"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Four-time Champ Car World Series Champion and current FIA World Endurance Championship driver S\u00e9bastien Bourdais is set to make a guest starring appearance in the upcoming Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin races on the streets of St. Petersburg, Florida.<\/p>\n

Bourdais will drive for McCumbee McAleer Racing during the doubleheader race weekend which takes place from 27 February to 1 March, supporting the IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n

Although born in Le Mans, Bourdais has called the Tampa-St. Petersburg area his home for over 20 years. He has won the IndyCar race at St. Pete twice, in 2017 and 2018, but hasn\u2019t raced at the circuit since stepping away from the series in 2021.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m super excited to once again race on the streets of St. Petersburg,\u201d said Bourdais. \u201cIt\u2019s a real thrill to join the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup at such a meaningful place. St. Petersburg is my home, and I\u2019ve been fortunate to have success in open-wheel racing on that track. Many thanks to Mazda and MMR for putting this together, and to Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA for allowing me to pursue this opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe entire focus of this effort is to raise funds for Kart4Kids<\/a>, which benefits Johns Hopkins All Children\u2019s Hospital,\u201d Bourdais added. \u201cAnyone interested in supporting the charity can donate and have their name or company featured on the car. Donations start at $5,000 and directly support children and their families. Since its creation, Kart4Kids has continued to raise the bar, and with the exposure from racing in one of North America\u2019s most popular series, I hope we can generate even more support for this very worthy cause.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Bourdais follows his Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA teammate Earl Bamber as the latest in a long line of prolific guest drivers in MX-5 Cup, which also includes James Hinchcliffe, Ben Keating, and Parker Kligerman. He\u2019ll test the Mazda MX-5 Cup car for the first time on 17 February at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve known Seb [Bourdais] through IMSA for many years,\u201d said Chad McCumbee, Co-Owner and namesake of MMR. \u201cIt\u2019s very cool to have him join us at St. Pete and I\u2019m excited to see what he thinks of the cars and the series. <\/p>\n

\u201cI did warn him\u2014he\u2019ll be much busier than a GTP race for this one.\u201d<\/p>\n

After St. Pete, Bourdais will shift his full focus towards the upcoming WEC season with Cadillac Hertz Team JOTA, following his decision to leave Tower Motorsports<\/a> after the Rolex 24 At Daytona.<\/p>\n

Images \u00a9 IMSA, Mazda<\/p>\n

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