TORONTO – Patrick Gallagher wired Sunday’s Battery Tender Global Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BFGoodrich Tires race on the streets of Exhibition Place.
Gallagher was chased to the finish line by series rookie Matt Cresci, who finished second, followed by Nathanial Sparks in third.
Gallagher has scored five wins in the first eight races and maintains his lead in the championship and the $200,000 Mazda Road to 24 Scholarship.
Starting from pole position Gallagher led all 26 laps of the race. After finishing second in Saturday’s race, the current MX-5 Cup points leader said he learned an important lesson about street racing.
“I’ve been to a couple of street circuits before,” Gallagher said. “I think I had a little advantage knowing what to expect from yellows and how the race was going to go. But yesterday, I learned to get to the front, so if the yellow comes out you still get the win. I just tried to stay out front the whole day.”
Gallagher’s early competition was second-place starter Bryan Ortiz, but a mechanical issue for the No. 4 Copeland Motorsports entry dropped him down the order in the second half of the race. Ortiz would eventually finish 11th.
Mazda Road to 24 Shootout Scholarship Winner Cresci (No. 51 Slipstream Performance), was then glued to Gallagher’s bumper, but was unable to find a way to the lead before the finish. This was Cresci’s best finish of the season and tightened up the battle for the $50,000 Rookie of the Year award.
Max Faulkner and Oxner were also in the hunt for the final podium spot throughout the second half of the race and eventually finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Source : speedsport.com
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