Jeremy Fletcher Racing
Ashley
Feb 28, 2024
Jeremy Fletcher’s inaugural year likely didn’t unfold as anticipated, marked by a few top-10 finishes without any standout performances. However, at the onset of the 2024 season opener for the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup Presented by Michelin, Fletcher made it clear that he aimed to surpass his 2023 championship standing.
Securing third and second place at Daytona International Speedway’s January opener, Fletcher enters Rounds 3 and 4 at Sebring International Raceway on March 14-15, tied for the points lead with McCumbee McAleer Racing teammate Gresham Wagner.
“The move definitely had a positive impact, both driving-wise and surrounding myself with teammates that are consistently at the front,” says Fletcher. “Working with Stevan and Stuart McAleer, Chad McCumbee and the whole team creates an atmosphere that is just amazing. And working with drivers like Nate Cicero, Gresham Wagner and John Jodoin on track, I feel like it has made it a more positive place for me to be at the race track.”
Transitioning to a new team, accompanied by fresh teammates and a revitalized focus for his second MX-5 Cup season, 17-year-old Fletcher’s program has progressed significantly.
“I’m definitely starting to work on myself personally,” he adds, “doing some training, going to the gym more actively and trying to be the best I can be when I show up. Plus getting as much testing and practice as I can.”
Having spent considerable time in karting with numerous national-level championships before briefly participating in Spec Miata, Fletcher commenced his MX-5 Cup journey with Copeland Racing. However, with Copeland no longer competing, Fletcher shifted to McCumbee McAleer Racing, a move that, alongside the presence of other skilled drivers, has notably enhanced his performance. Moreover, Fletcher is fortunate that the initial two MX-5 Cup weekends occur at familiar tracks, Daytona and Sebring, where he has raced and tested extensively, hailing from St. Cloud, Fla., equidistant from both venues. Coming from a lineage of motocross racers, with his grandfather establishing the Ocala Gran Prix kart track, Jeremy’s trajectory was set early on.
“It’s definitely great to be surrounded by all the IMSA teams. And it also lets you, I would say, explore your options a bit with who you could run with, or what your dreams may be,” he explains. “You can talk to those people and figure yourself out and what you want to race in the future.”
Motivated by the prospect of Mazda scholarship funding, MX-5 Cup became his chosen path, undoubtedly influenced by his former karting teammate and 2022 Rookie of the Year, Connor Zilisch. Now setting his sights on sports car endurance racing, Jeremy sees his presence in the IMSA paddock as a stepping stone towards that goal, acknowledging MX-5 Cup’s role as an excellent training ground. Observing drivers like Zilisch and Wagner has been educational, but Jeremy believes that assertiveness on track is the key to victory this season, a mindset that paid dividends at Daytona.
“If you don’t have the racecraft, you’re not really going to be up there,” he says. “The field is so tight — and especially with the draft at a place like Daytona — that you have to use quite a bit of strategy. And even if you really aren’t driving that great, or you have some problems, you can still be there strategically as long as you’re kind of controlling the field. If you get the racecraft good enough, then you can run up front even if you don’t have the best car or best pace.”
With Sebring on the horizon, Jeremy aims to sustain his early-season momentum on the challenging terrain of the classic Florida road course’s fast and bumpy runways and turns.
“Not get pushed around,” he says of the key to his newfound podium abilities. “I feel coming into Daytona I was a lot more abrupt, a lot more decisive — like, I would make a move and make sure it stuck and make sure the guys knew I was out there. Last year I was kind of nervous to make a move, or not make somebody so happy with a move I made. I feel like that would always put me in a bad spot, not going for the opening.”