Mazda's at Martinsville: How this race could open the door for more in IMSA?

The Mazda MX-5 Cup announced a few weeks ago that the series would head to Martinsville Speedway in October for an exhibition race, accompanying the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

For IMSA, this ground-breaking race helps usher in the series' first oval track in who knows how long, opening the door for the potential of more unique exhibition races to come.

Martinsville and Mazdas have been heavily connected prior to the race announcement, featuring a test towards the tail end of 2023

But what could IMSA do to maybe continue to push the limit of sportscar racing.

Here are some ideas and thoughts that we could see from IMSA following the announcement of Martinsville Mazdas.

Take It To The Ovals

Imagine the Mazda MX-5 Cup cars on the high-banks of Daytona, but this time, for the oval configuration?

The Mazdas race is very similar to a NASCAR-sanctioned race with their beatin' and bangin' races, and seeing an MX-5 Cup race on the oval at Daytona would be exciting.

Obviously, the series already has its road course race during the Rolex 24 weekend, but a Daytona oval race would be a unique sight.

Maybe the Mustang Challenge could even do a race on the oval of Daytona or the Martinsville paperclip?

While the Mustang Challenge is much more of a natural sportscar series, it is a platform that merges both sportscar racing and muscle car fandom together.

Seeing a race on an oval for the Mustang Challenge may be the perfect combination for what has become a growing series and brand.

Match Made with Mazdas?

There are a lot of people wondering if this event will provide the action needed to make this a success.

While the MX-5 Cup is physical, Martinsville provides a much tighter circuit and may make for some challenges.

But, with the potential for some superstars coming out to participate, this should provide quite a spectacle.

People would love to see the likes of Dale Jr. or Connor Zilisch take part in this, or maybe even current/former NASCAR drivers for the event.

With this being an exhibition, I hope that there will be a chance we see some stars and high-level action for the weekend.

While this race may be an exhibition, it will be intriguing to see if IMSA takes a leap to make it a full-fledge regular season race.