I just cant justify dumping the money into the V anymore; it was fun for my first track event, but now that I want to do more events, as well as more auto-x, and maybe try W2W in the future, it just wont cut it. This thing eats up consumables, and they arent cheap either. Plus these cars eat up wheel bearings and ball joints for some reason, along with differentials, and not to mention my buddy has been through 2 LS6 motors in his.

Im strongly considering picking up a spec Miata for about 8 grand that is already set up (drivetrain, suspension, safety gear, etc). Looks like tires are fairly cheap (~$600 for 205/50R15s), pads are cheap ($250 front/rear) and so are rotors ($25 /pc). I cant imagine gas mileage is as bad on track as the V (6.0mpg), and I'd assume that the consumables would last longer. Not only that, but I wont be dishing out the $$ on track insurance anymore since it's a vehicle that I could afford losing if something happened.

From the research I have done so far, it seems like I'll be able to get a lot more for my money with this car, and be able to do a lot more events with my budget. I'm also thinking that I will gain more and learn more with this car. Am I right in my thinking?

I would like to do about 6 to 8 track events a year, as well as a bunch of autocross events in between, and then eventually the SCCA drivers school to get my rookie license and run some spec Miata races.

Would the spec miata be any good at auto-x, given a specific auto-x tire is put on the car, and the track rubber is taken off? I'm not worried about what class I'll fall in; I'd be out there just to have fun in whatever class the car puts me in.

Am I on the right track? I would like any suggestions and inputs you all have. Oh, and I already know these things are horrendously slow compared to the vettes and porsches on track; I dont have an ego to maintain at these events. I'd rather learn to drive the car to the point where I'm getting the point-by from the z06 driver, lol.

 

here is a quick how-to video on how passing in Spec Miatas:

Videos Posted by Too Jew Racing: Sebring 7-17 Enduro: How to execute a Divebomb [HQ] | Facebook

 

lol, holy crap! that was pretty bad. I remember when I ran the PDX event at Daytona, during the drivers meeting the head instructor called them "Spec Pinatas" lol.

Any insight you could provide me for the post I made above?

BTW, I got a ton of pics from the enduro Sunday afternoon. I got a bunch of your car, didnt even realize it until now.

 

There are those of us who believe that racing is fun in just about any car... and you may think you're one of us. But, you started out in a really fast car. Before you invest a bunch of money in a Spec Miata, spend some time with a Miata and see if it's right for you. It's a momentum car. Power is "adequate" in an old-school sportscar kind of way, but it's not gonna get up and go like you're used to. It takes a completely different driving style to get the most out of it.

$8k probably isn't too bad for a well-prepared SM. The absolute cheapest you could hack one together for would be $4-5k.

A Miata is good for about 12-15 mpg at Sebring.

A SM can be autocrossed, but it's probably not the best suspension choice for autocross. (I've heard that it's not the best choice for racing, either! But, it is what it is, and your competition has the same thing.) The front springs are SUPER stiff, and the spec shocks don't provide quite enough damping for them. You'd definitely have fun autocrossing it, though. You can't avoid having fun racing a Miata in any environment.

Explore all of your options. There's Spec Miata, Spec E30, etc. There are other options with SCCA/NASA/PBOC/Chin/Etc, as well. Spec racing is cheap "in theory". The reality is that it can be relatively cheap to get out there and race... but if you get the itch to win, WINNING ain't cheap.

Then there's the whole low-buck LeMons/Chump racing scene. You can build a LeMon for $3-4k and have a ton of fun racing for a lot less expense than anywhere else. Or, better still, you can scab onto an existing team (there are at least 6 active teams in the Tampa area that I know of, somebody always needs a driver) and skip the burden of owning a race car and a trailer and all the hassle that goes with it. Get 3-4 hours of wheel-to-wheel track time in a weekend for $700-1000. You can't beat that.

 

very good advice! it might be worth it to rent a miata for a track event before i'd strongly consider it.

 

definitely agree on renting a car first. I rent my SM out. In fact, someone that brings me on to coach/co-drive with them now got their first track time renting my SM a few years ago. You may find its exactly what you want to get into, or that it just is entirely too slow for DEs. only one way to find out.

and yes, I was at sebring this past weekend racing the enduro

--L.D.

 

I posed the same question on another forum, and got a response from another member who went from a 99 Cobra (close to same weight/hp ratio) to a spec Miata; here's his reply:

"I'd be glad to offer any information I can. There are a few big reasons to buy a miata, and this is no particular order.

1. Burn rate is WAY lower...

My Miata gets 16mpg on track whereas the Cobra was somewhere in the 3.5 range. In three seasons I'm on my fourth set of front pads, and my third set of rear pads. One pair of front rotors, a 60 dollar napa radiator and other various trinkets....for around 15,000 track miles. Not 1,500....15,000. I did replace my 1.6 with a newer 1.8 engine, but the 1.6 ran fine...I just wanted a little more scoot out of the corners. There is nothing out there that can even come close to this level of reliability and affordability for the amount of seat time i'm getting. I have three set of tires in rotation. Hoosier Wets, Practice rubber (usually tires too old to TT on) and my TT rubber (usually low cycle count Hoosier SM6, R6 or A6, but V710 is also very good.) The wets are on their third season, the practice rubber is from last year, and the A6's are new this year.

This kind of savings allows you to spend less time fixing the car/replacing parts, and more opportunities to be out there driving.....which brings me to my next reason.

2. Driving a Miata is more about you than it is about the car.

With the exception of of having 300+ hp, this car does everything better than every other car out there. It is so well balanced that you will naturally be taught by the car what is the best way to drive it via osmosis. You will find that you will begin to use the brakes less and less, until you are using them very little, or not at all in some places. once you discover that level of momentum driving, you will be making passes on much faster hardware, mostly because folks with 300+hp cars never really need to learn how to turn...they can just stomp the throttle and power out of the turn they just blew. In your case, if you blow a turn....you blow the lap. The focus becomes being technically proficient in every corner....there are no throwaways..

Once you learn this method of driving, then driving any car becomes easier, because you can sniff out the proper lines for the machine to be on.

Case in point:

I was at Mont Tremblant in Quebec a year or so ago at an event. My buddy who has a C6 corvette was at the same event. We were both datalogging our laps. I was running 2:03 lap times, and he was running 1:58's.. So he was bragging that he was faster.

I asked him to pull up the datalogs to show him something. I selected Turn 1...where at the end of the front straight I reach about 100mph...and he reaches about 120 or so. Then I told him to move the cursor through turn one....where he brakes and turns in at around 60mph.....and where I don't use the brake at all, and take the turn at WOT at over 95-100 mph. The corvette storms back in the straights and makes up for the time.

in short...it takes serious ballsack to go fast in a Miata....because to not have it will mean you will be slow.


It forces you to drive the shit out of it.....just to put up normal lap times....but you become a seriously proficient driver in doing so.

3. Definitely buy something that is already sorted out.

There is no reason to buy something that isn't already built up and ready to drive. Less cash spent buying parts is more cash toward seat time.

I would recommend a car in the 94-97 range with a 1.8......or newer. The 1.6 cars are fun, but you will out grow it just a little faster."

 

I don't know if simply driving a slow car will make you any faster. I see people driving slow cars for years and not improving.

I would get something a little faster.

 

I can see both sides... but I can tell you that it's definitely easier to learn momentum driving in a car that requires it. If you can rely on power to make yourself "feel" fast on the track, you will. If the only real strength a car has is it's handling capability, you must learn to use it. The clincher is that once you've learned to see and drive the most efficient line all the time (because you have to), you can then apply those same skills to any car... like, say, a faster one.

Jeremy... what "fast car" did you learn your basic autox/track skills in? Didn't you learn in a momentum car?

 

Not sure I have ever driven a car that wasn't a momentum car. I think the 240sx is the only car I've raced with more than 150ft/lb of torque, and even that is probably barely cracking 200.

What about something like this?
Honda S2000 Ready to race, SCCA, NASA, Track Days
http://www.nasaforums.com/viewtopic....44683&p=316499