TRACK: St. Petersburg Street Circuit (1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit)<\/p>\n
TUNE IN: IMSA.TV, IMSA and RACER YouTube channels, Saturday Feb. 28, 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m. Eastern Standard Time for Race 1, and Sunday March 1, 4 p.m. to 4:40 p.m. EST for Race 2.<\/p>\n
The course ahead:<\/p>\n
Rounds 3 and 4 mark AAG Racing\u2019s second Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin start on the streets of St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no stopping on these streets. This year\u2019s Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg is headlined by the NTT IndyCar Series season opener and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series inaugural street course event.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just up the road from its Fort Myers, Fla., headquarters, AAG Racing is one of the closest Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup teams to the St. Petersburg Street Circuit. It is approximately 123 miles from the team\u2019s race shop to the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg course.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 2025, AAG Racing amassed two podiums, 14 top-10 finishes, two Takumi Awards, one Penske Shocking Performance Award, and the 2025 Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Clean Image Award presented by Sunoco Race Fuels.<\/p>\n
Students of the game:<\/p>\n
When he is not behind the wheel, Chuck Mactutus is a student in the SysAdmin, Audit, Network, and Security (SANS) Technology Institute undergraduate cybersecurity certificate program.<\/p>\n
Mactutus also offers driver coaching services through his business \u201cChuck\u2019s Racing LLC\u201d, which he uses to help support his Spec Miata racing.<\/p>\n
In 2023 and 2024, Mactutus worked many events in the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) where he is a certified flagger\/corner worker.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fernando Luque Jr. is currently in the 11th grade and now looks to make the most of his newest racing opportunity in the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin with AAG Racing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Though not in a traditional classroom, Luque first started his training in karting at 10 years old which has led him to where he is today.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Luque credits karting as a great learning tool that can help him manage the close racing in the MX-5 Cup series.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chuck Mactutus\u2013Driver, No. 60 AAG Racing Mazda MX-5<\/p>\n
Chuck Mactutus will pilot AAG Racing\u2019s No. 60 Salty Dog Racing Mazda MX-5 during Rounds 3 and 4 at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.<\/p>\n
AAG Racing is committed to driver development. Mactutus joins the MX-5 Cup grid, bringing a combined 19 wins between Spec Miata and Spec MX-5 competition.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Adapting quickly has been a theme for Mactutus throughout his career. He is coming off a seventh-place finish in Race 2 of the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup season-opening doubleheader at Daytona International Speedway (DIS) in January.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In the season-opener at Daytona in January, the 28-year-old driver found himself in the top-10 most of the time in Race 1 before a tire rub derailed a solid finish. In Race 2 he was able to do much of the same and ultimately earned a finish reflective of the speed in his car.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Building a notebook is one of the things that has benefited the Little Mountain, S.C. driver most. Mactutus has shown a natural driving talent that has made this a smooth transition into professional sports car racing. Leaning on the calls of crew chief Cory Collum and the driver coaching and data analysis from AAG Racing team manager Sam Paley has allowed him to build on his natural talents and sharpen his race craft.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Salty Dog Racing is an affiliate of The Salty Dog Cafe, which has locations on Hilton Head Island, S.C., Charleston, S.C., Key West, Fla., and Bluffton, S.C. Mactutus is a member of the Salty Dog Racing Team, along with Bobby and Ellie Gossett.<\/p>\n
Chuck Mactutus Quotes<\/p>\n
Coming off of a seventh-place finish at Daytona in Race 2, how do you carry that momentum into this race?<\/p>\n
\u201cThat momentum in MX-5 Cup is so important both for the cars and the drivers. I\u2019d say it\u2019s mainly carried by trusting in your team and yourself to keep it fast, clean, and fun!\u201d<\/p>\n
First time on a street course, how do you prepare for this race and what are the challenges that come with a circuit like this?<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been studying videos and doing some iRacing on the street circuits. Ultimately, I think it\u2019ll come down to car control and a solid qualifying run because of the challenging overtaking.\u201d<\/p>\n
There is a lot of anticipation across the paddock for this event, what does it mean to you to be back for another race with the AAG Racing team?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m definitely looking forward to giving it my all for the team. They were fantastic at Daytona and I am so happy to be back in this fun series racing with AAG and benefiting from their expertise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fernando Luque Jr.\u2013Driver, No. 25 AAG Racing Mazda MX-5<\/p>\n
Fernando Luque Jr. will pilot AAG Racing\u2019s No. 25 Mazda MX-5 during Rounds 3 and 4 at the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In January\u2019s season-opener at Daytona International Speedway (DIS), Luque piloted the No. 25 entry to a 17th-place finish in Race 2 to cap off his Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup debut.\u00a0<\/p>\n
During the 2025 season, the Mexico City, Mexico driver competed in the North America\u2013Central America (NACAM) Formula 4 division and finished the season as the series vice-champion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In karting, Luque\u2019s eight-year karting career includes six karting world championships in Europe as a representative of Mexico and multiple U.S. karting national race wins.<\/p>\n
Navigating the streets will be a new challenge for the 17-year-old racer who is in his second year of car racing. Luque has prior street course experience in karting and looks to translate that to racing in the MX-5 Cup car.<\/p>\n
Luque is no stranger to professional racing. Competing in high-level support races is nothing new. Last season, he won the NACAM F4 support race during the Formula 1 Mexico Grand Prix weekend. After making his Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup debut during the historic Rolex 24 at Daytona week, Luque will have the opportunity to showcase his talent in front of IndyCar and NASCAR drivers and teams, each competing in their own events during the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Fernando Luque Jr. Quotes<\/p>\n
Daytona was a learning experience for you, what lessons can you apply to St. Pete?<\/p>\n
\u201cDaytona was a great learning experience where I learned the ropes of racing in MX-5 Cup. I now know what it\u2019s like to race in the series and what the competition is like. I\u2019m ready to maximize the race this weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
You have been a part of support races before, most notably last season when you won the NACAM F4 race during the F1 Mexico GP. IndyCar and NASCAR are both in town this week, is there anything that stands out to you about these types of events?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s super special to be a part of these events. I find it great to be racing with IndyCar and NASCAR in the same weekend as it gives good exposure to the event. There\u2019s definitely more pressure to perform but that motivates me to give it my all.\u201d<\/p>\n
You\u2019ve raced at a lot of different circuits in your young career; how does the St. Pete street circuit compare to anywhere you\u2019ve raced in the past?\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a unique challenge as it is my first time racing at a street circuit in cars but I\u2019m confident I can handle it. I have a lot of experience racing street circuits in karting, particularly at the SKUSA Supernationals. So, I\u2019m confident I can draw on this experience on the streets of St. Pete.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meet the AAG Racing Drivers<\/p>\n
Saturday, February 28<\/p>\n
Chuck Mactutus and Fernando Luque Jr. will be at the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Series Driver Autograph Session inside turn 2 before the Velo bridge at 11 a.m. ET to meet fans and sign autographs.<\/p>\n
About AAG Racing<\/p>\n
Based in Southwest Florida, AAG Racing is the sister company to Autotechnik Racing and has been involved in racing Mazda race cars since the early 2000s. With championships in multiple series, AAG Racing has developed a legacy of speed, precision and determination on and off the track. From grassroots beginnings, the team has continuously evolved, driven by a passion for motorsports and a relentless pursuit of excellence.<\/p>\n
The team\u2019s mission is to push the boundaries of performance, innovation and teamwork, fostering a culture where every member contributes to the team\u2019s success. AAG Racing is committed to precision engineering, strategic racing and talent development to remain competitive at every turn. Additionally, the team provides young drivers with the necessary ladder to advance from karting through club racing to professional sports car racing. AAG Racing\u2019s entry into the MX-5 Cup Series marks the next step in its planned growth.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"TRACK: St. Petersburg Street Circuit (1.8-mile, 14-turn street circuit) TUNE IN: IMSA.TV, IMSA and RACER YouTube channels, Saturday…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":169844,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[202,204,203,199,201,200],"class_list":["post-169843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-st-petersburg","tag-st-pete","tag-st-pete-headlines","tag-st-pete-news","tag-st-petersburg","tag-st-petersburg-headlines","tag-st-petersburg-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169843"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169843\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}