Maximilian Opalski

Early life and karting

Maximilian Opalski was born in Chicago, Illinois, on November 10, 2005. He started karting at age five, racing in the WKA and Route 66 series. By the late 2010s, he had earned top-ten national finishes and regional podiums. In 2019, he won multiple races and secured podium results in the United States Pro Kart Series and Challenge of the Americas.

Transition to car racing and MX5 cup

Opalski transitioned from karting to sports car racing in 2022, joining Copeland Motorsports to compete in the Idemitsu Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by BF Goodrich. Competing at various tracks around the US, including tracks like The Streets of St. Petersburg, Virginia International Raceway, and Watkins Glen. Opalski finished the 2022 season with top-ten finishes at the Road Atlanta.

In 2023, Opalski returned to the Mazda MX5 Cup grid with Copeland Motorsports at Daytona International Speedway with a fifth-place result. He finished on the podium twice that year in Road America and Road Atlanta with one pole position and a track record. Opalski finished the 2023 Mazda MX5 cup 4th place in the championship.

Max Opalski Racing and Mustang Challenge

In 2024, at age 18, Opalski founded his own racing team, Max Opalski Racing, to compete in the newly established IMSA-sanctioned Mustang Challenge. The team was announced to run a Ford Mustang Dark Horse R, with Opalski entered as its first confirmed driver. He was reported as one of the youngest team owners in the IMSA paddock at that time.

During the 2024 Mustang Challenge season, Opalski drove the No. 2 Mustang and earned competitive results, including a sixth-place at season opener, a top-five finish at Watkins Glen and sixth-place results at Road America under his independent entry. He later joined McCumbee McAleer Racing for the remainder of the season, competing alongside a larger team structure. In the final race of the season, Opalski finished Race 1 and 2 in fourth.

2026

In 2026, Opalski competed in the Zenith Racing Series with Automatic Racing, driving the NP01 Prototype. The season included appearances at several road courses in the United States, including Barber Motorsports Park.

Other Tracks on the schedule included Sonoma Raceway, Virginia International Raceway, Road America, Watkins Glen International, and Daytona International. The campaign marked Opalski’s participation in prototype sports car competition as part of the Automatic Racing program during the 2026 racing season. Races consist of 7 and 12 hour endurance races.

Did You Know?

• Opalski began racing at age five in karting, competing in the World Karting Association and Route 66 series.
• In 2023, he earned a pole position and set a track record in the Mazda MX-5 Cup.