Gresham Wagner

Gresham Wagner (born August 20, 1997) is an American racing driver who competes in the Mazda MX-5 Cup and Toyota GR Cup North America.

Gresham Wagner
NationalityAmerican
Born (1997-08-20) August 20, 1997
Newport News, Virginia, United States
Mazda MX-5 Cup career
Debut season2018
Current teamSpark Performance
Car number5
Former teamsSick Sideways Racing
Championship titles
2021
2022		Mazda MX-5 Cup
TC America Series
Last updated on: October 20, 2023.

He was the 2021 champion of the Mazda MX-5 Cup, as well as the TCA class champion of the TC America Series in 2022.

Career

Early career

Wagner grew up around racing, watching his father compete at local short tracks before jumping behind the wheel himself at the age of five.[1] At the age of nine, he made his national karting debut, competing as high as the WKA Manufacturer's Cup in 2007.[2] However, Wagner's karting career would be cut short in his early teens, as he was forced to have back surgery as a result of developing scoliosis.[3] Following the surgery, which effectively made Wagner's back one solid bone, he found it painful and difficult to compete in karting, causing him to step away from the sport.[4] After two years away from racing, he was re-introduced to the sport via the Skip Barber Racing School, and he made plans to compete in the Global MX-5 Cup shortly thereafter.[1]

Mazda MX-5 Cup
Wagner's Mazda MX-5 Cup car at Watkins Glen in 2023.

In 2018, Wagner began competing in SCCA events with Sick Sideways Racing after acquiring a used Mazda MX-5 Cup car.[1] Wagner was entered in the Touring 4 class of the Hoosier Super Tour, and claimed several race victories over the course of the season – including at Mid-Ohio in June.[5] Wagner ended up second in the T4 championship, five points behind Ross Murray.[6] Later in the season, at Barber Motorsports Park, he made his debut in the Global MX-5 Cup, finishing sixth in his first race.[1] In October, Wagner traveled to Sonoma Raceway to compete in the SCCA Runoffs, taking second in the T4 class behind John Heinricy.[7]

2019 marked Wagner's first full-time season in the MX-5 Cup, and he continued with Sick Sideways Racing. Over the course of the season, he claimed two podiums and two pole positions, finishing the season eighth in the points. For 2020, Wagner swapped teams, joining Spark Performance for the full campaign. That season, he claimed his first series victory at Mid-Ohio,[8] and added another a month later at New Jersey Motorsports Park.[9] At the end of the esason, Wagner was fifth in points, collecting a $10,000 payout as a result.[10]

2021 was Wagner's most successful in the series yet. After securing victory in the opening race of the season at Daytona,[11] he became the first repeat victor of the season after taking first in the second race at Sebring.[12] Wagner would close the season with three consecutive victories – a sweep of the weekend at Laguna Seca[13] and an additional race win at Road Atlanta[14][15] – en route to a title victory. As a result, Wagner earned a $250,000 championship credit.[16]

Wagner naturally aimed for a repeat in 2022, returning to Spark Performance with "more expectation" on himself to back up his 2021 campaign with another strong season.[17] In addition, Wagner competed full-time in the TC America Series in 2022, driving a Subaru BRZ in the TCA class for TechSport Racing.[18] In his familiar Mazda seat, he would claim just one victory during the 2022 season, taking first overall in a rain-shortened race at Mid-Ohio.[19] However, six additional podium finishes meant he finished third in the championship. In TC America, Wagner experienced great success in his first year outside of the Mazda MX-5 Cup. After finishing second and first in his opening weekend of competition,[20] Wagner would go on to win seven of the 14 races in his TCA class, including a sweep of the weekend at Sebring.[21] As a result, Wagner came home with the class title at season's end, 10 points ahead of second-placed Carter Fartuch.[22]

2023 saw Wagner once again embark on a dual SRO/IMSA program, this time in the new-for-2023 Toyota GR Cup[23] alongside a continued MX-5 Cup drive. He scored his first victory in the GR Cup at COTA in May,[24] before adding another victory at Road America in August.[25] He scored his final victory of the GR Cup season during the season-finale weekend at Indianapolis,[26] and finished runner-up to champion Tyler Gonzalez in the season-long championship. In the Mazda Cup, Wagner claimed two race victories en route to a fifth-place championship finish.

Personal life

In 2020, Wagner graduated from Christopher Newport University with a degree in business administration.[2] Off of the track, he maintains a full-time career as a data analyst.[17]

Racing record

Career summary
Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2018 SCCA Southeast Majors - Touring 4 Gresham Wagner Racing 8 4 4 5 7 180 1st
SCCA Hoosier Super Tour - Touring 4 6 4 4 4 5 159 2nd
Mazda MX-5 Cup Sick Sideways Racing 4 0 0 0 0 31 26th
2019 Mazda MX-5 Cup Sick Sideways Racing 12 0 2 1 2 166 8th
2020 Mazda MX-5 Cup Spark Performance 12 2 3 1 5 187 5th
2021 Mazda MX-5 Cup Spark Performance 14 5 6 2 10 4330 1st
2022 Mazda MX-5 Cup Spark Performance 14 1 0 3 7 3465 3rd
TC America Series - TCA TechSport Racing 14 7 7 7 10 238 1st
2023 Mazda MX-5 Cup Spark Performance 14 2 4 3 4 2990 5th
Toyota GR Cup North America TechSport Racing 13 3 4 4 10 195 2nd

* Season still in progress.

References
  1. Racer Staff (February 25, 2021). "Mazda MX-5 Cup opens door that scoliosis closed for Gresham Wagner". Racer. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  2. "Champion Download: A few minutes with Gresham Wagner". TC America. November 7, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  3. Gregory, Erica (August 10, 2016). "Racing with Scoliosis: Gresham Wagner's Story". UVA Health. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  4. Zurschmeide, Jeff (October 17, 2018). "Wednesday afternoon SCCA Runoffs notebook". Racer. Retrieved September 7, 2023. I couldn't do the weight transfer at the level I wanted to. It didn't work because I can't bend my back at all. I figured that was it, so I sold all my stuff...
  5. SCCA (June 3, 2018). "Weather a variable Sunday at Mid-Ohio Hoosier Super Tour". Racer. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  6. SCCA (November 12, 2018). "2018 Hoosier Super Tour point champions crowned". Racer. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  7. SCCA (October 20, 2018). "Heinricy adds 15th Runoffs title with Touring 4 win". Racer. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  8. Staff Report (September 12, 2020). "Wagner Romps In Mid-Ohio Mazda Run". Speed Sport. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  9. Staff Report (October 11, 2020). "Wagner Rebounds In New Jersey MX-5 Cup Closer". Speed Sport. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  10. Racer Staff (October 26, 2020). "MX-5 Cup top performers honored with end-of-season awards". Racer. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  11. Racer Staff (January 28, 2021). "Blockbuster finish to first Mazda MX-5 Cup race at Daytona". Racer. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  12. Staff Report (March 19, 2021). "Wagner First Mazda MX-5 Cup Repeat Winner". Speed Sport. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  13. Staff Report (September 12, 2021). "Wagner Sweeps Mazda MX-5 Cup Weekend". Speed Sport. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  14. Industry (November 11, 2021). "Wagner takes third-straight MX-5 Cup win in remarkable Road Atlanta finish". Racer. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  15. Day, Lewin (November 22, 2021). "Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship Decided By This Five-Car Photo Finish". The Drive. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  16. "Wagner Crowned 2021 Mazda MX-5 Cup Champion". IMSA. November 22, 2021. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  17. Tamayo, George (June 22, 2022). "Inside Mazda MX-5 Cup: Champ Wagner sets the bar high". Racer. Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  18. SRO America (April 9, 2022). "SRO TC America Sonoma season opener preview". Racer. Retrieved September 16, 2023. Rounding out the field will be series regulars TechSport Racing... They'll feature a three car squad with Gresham Wagner, Devin Anderson, and Shaoyi Che entered for Sonoma.
  19. Staff Report (May 14, 2022). "Rain Aids Wagner to Mazda Score". Speed Sport. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  20. "Ruud Sweeps the Weekend in TCX, Boehm Tops TC, Wagner Wins TCA". TC America. April 17, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  21. "Kevin Boehm Clinches TC Championship, Double Win for Colin Garrett in TCX and Gresham Wagner in TCA". TC America. September 25, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  22. "Colin Garrett, Kevin Boehm and Devin Anderson Win at Indianapolis; Ruud and Wagner Claim Titles in Thrilling Season Finale". TC America. October 9, 2022. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  23. O'Connell, R.J. (January 31, 2023). "TechSport Racing To Field Two New Nissan Z GT4s in GT4 America". Dailysportscar. Retrieved September 16, 2023. TechSport Racing... will also field two cars in the new Toyota GR86 Cup, for reigning TC America TCA champion Gresham Wagner, and newcomer Spike Kohlbecker.
  24. "Wagner Tops Podium in Race 1 at COTA". GR Cup. May 20, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  25. "Wagner Claims Second Win in Race 2 at Road America". GR Cup. August 20, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  26. "Wagner Earns Third Win of the Year at Indianapolis". GR Cup. October 7, 2023. Retrieved October 20, 2023.
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