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. [2] At the age of nine, he made his national karting debut, competing as high as the WKA Manufacturer's Cup in 2007. [3] 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. [4] Following the surgery, a thoracic-lumbar spinal fusion, [5] he found it too painful and difficult to compete competitively in karting, causing him to step away from the sport. [6] 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. [2]
Mazda MX-5 Cup
In 2018, Wagner began competing in SCCA events with Sick Sideways Racing after acquiring a used Mazda MX-5 Cup car. [2] 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. [7] Wagner ended up second in the T4 championship, five points behind Ross Murray. [8] Later in the season, at Barber Motorsports Park, he made his debut in the Global MX-5 Cup, finishing sixth in his first race. [2] In October, Wagner traveled to Sonoma Raceway to compete in the SCCA Runoffs, taking second in the T4 class behind John Heinricy. [9]
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 the newly-formed Spark Performance for the full campaign. That season, he claimed his first series victory at Mid-Ohio, [10] and added another a month later at New Jersey Motorsports Park. [11] At the end of the season, Wagner was fifth in points, collecting a $10,000 payout as a result. [12]
2021 was Wagner's most successful in the series yet. After securing victory in the opening race of the season at Daytona, [13] he became the first repeat victor of the season after taking first in the second race at Sebring. [14] Wagner would close the season with three consecutive victories – a sweep of the weekend at Laguna Seca [15] and an additional race win at Road Atlanta [16] [17] – en route to a title victory. As a result, Wagner earned a $250,000 championship credit. [18]
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. [19] In addition, Wagner competed full-time in the TC America Series in 2022, driving a Subaru BRZ in the TCA class for TechSport Racing. [20] 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. [21] 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, [22] Wagner would go on to win seven of the 14 races in his TCA class, including a sweep of the weekend at Sebring. [23] As a result, Wagner came home with the class title at season's end, 10 points ahead of second-placed Carter Fartuch. [24]
2023 saw Wagner once again embark on a dual SRO/IMSA program, this time in the new-for-2023 Toyota GR Cup [25] alongside a continued MX-5 Cup drive. He scored his first victory in the GR Cup at COTA in May, [26] before adding another victory at Road America in August. [27] He scored his final victory of the GR Cup season during the season-finale weekend at Indianapolis, [28] and finished runner-up to champion Tyler Gonzalez in the season-long championship. In the Mazda MX-5 Cup, Wagner claimed two race victories en route to a fifth-place championship finish.
The following season, Wagner mirrored his 2023 effort with a return to both series, although switched teams to McCumbee McAleer Racing and Copeland Motorsports in MX-5 Cup and GR Cup competition respectively. He kicked off the 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup season with a victory at Daytona, [29] but would be forced to wait until June's round at Mid-Ohio to return to victory lane. [30] Wagner added his third victory of the season during race one at Road Atlanta, [31] and he clinched the series championship with a podium finish the following day. [32] Wagner's 2024 triumph made him the second two-time champion in series history, following Jared Thomas' accomplishment from the year prior. [33] In GR Cup competition, Wagner enjoyed a comfortable championship season, taking victory in 10 of the year's 14 races and clinching the driver's championship with two races to spare. [34]
