C.J. Ichiban

everyone, as Dan's chief track compadre let me say that this car is absolutely set.

It's the best detailed and cleanest track used 996gt3 I've seen, and if I wasn't going the miata cup route I'd probably buy it myself.

that's the highest praise I can give for another dude's car. I was actually thinking about pulling a mooty and getting it just so I could run Laguna Seca this fall.

Dan- let's get this Mx5 party started asap!

pdobbs

260? Shoot, not sure a miata is going to be able to make it around the track with that much in the driver's seat

DanG, can't believe you're selling the ride. Good luck and hope to see you on the cup circuit soon. You'll have to meet my buddy Lawson sometime. He ran a GT3 Cup car for awhile and then won the Speed World Challenge GT class in '06.

http://www.lawsonaschenbach.com/inde...d=369&Itemid=7

blake

Sorry to hear that you are selling the "3", but equally excited that you are pursuing racing... Best of luck getting the car sold soon.

Any update on the Park City move? Will I see you out at MMP this summer?

I spent the last hour perusing the Skip Barber website... I am really tempted to get into "arrive and drive" racing next spring/summer. This is so damn addictive...

-Blake

DRG13

yeah Blake, I bought a place in Park City in March, haven't moved in yet, but it's there waiting..lol..I may get some stuff moved in soon, we'll see..

Payton, since your looking for a P-car, might as well go big and snag mine..I'm sure Lawson would help you get comfy driving it..I've had a chance now to speak with a few of the MX-5 pro drivers, good guys, I'm looking forward to it...as it turns out the last two champions (MER racing, the only 2 champs since it's 2 years old) our based at my home track, MSR, they can put me on the fast track to get racing when I'm ready. Ultimately I want to race Porsche Cup cars but as everyone knows that is a pretty large chunk of change..

datax

I think you should just start doing PCA Club race in J class with this car and take things slow from there. Karting is good and give you experience with wheel to wheel racing but with spec miata, IMHO, you won't learn much. I've driven King RAT spec Miata on the track and the only thing you learn being behind the wheel of those cars is that how to carry speed at any giving point on the track. That is all it. Because those cars don't have power, driver always has to negotiate(totally different kind of negotiation from Porsches) with the turns, do his best to carry speed thru turns/bends and maintain the momentum. You can do that in karts so I wouldn't get too excited about spec miata idea if I were you. I would just keep the GT3. BTW, after mastering the Miatas, going back to Porsches (Cup cars) will be another steep learning curve. Just my 2 cents.

///Mous3

There is nothing like training in the same machine (similar dynamics) as you are going to go racing. ...unless you are 11 of course.

prg

I'd respectfully disagree with this. I think a spec miata is a great, fun, and relatively cheap way to learn momentum driving and racecraft. Even in big HP cars, learning to maintain entry speed results in a few tenths a corner. No doubt you can learn this in carts, but some of us like to have a cage around us while learning these lessons.

///Mous3

Arrr... "racecraft".... one never learn it until one is in wheel-to-wheel racing.

C.J. Ichiban

re: racecraft, wheel to wheel, momentum...

at worst, totalling a miata is much less expensive than totalling a gt3 in a pca race. Since Dan and I are getting late starts to the "racecraft" angle, we're gonna have to push really hard in our cars to make up for lost time behind the wheel and play catch up- kinda like an IRA or a 401k...

Well at least with me- I'm gonna take my mx5 all the way to the edge and keep it there til it breaks. Hopefully by the time that happens, I'll have enough $ in the bank that I could write off a 996 cup car too.

DRG13

I appreciate the feedback and opinions, but as of right now, racing MX-5 cups for me is comfortably in my budget, racing a Porsche cup may be doable down the road. I almost bought a P Cup car 2 months ago as my track car, with no plans to race it...that would cost more than racing the MX-5..Racing my
GT3 in PCA J class would be about as fun as driving it in a blizzard, potentially tearing up a car I have well over $100K into? no thanks...And as far as the comment on Spec or Cup miatas not helping in mine and CJ's progression, I have been told by too many amatuer and pro racers quite the opposite, so I disagree with that statement..At this point "gentlemens racing" at our local track, DE events and driving schools in my GT3 are still fun, but I'm looking to take the fun factor up a notch and racing I believe will do that..If not, I hear bullriding gets the adrenaline going, how much does it cost to run a bull for a season?

datax

Sorry if my post might have been misleading. I thought you gonna start doing the karting before the spec miata series. That's why I was comparing what you'll learn behind the wheel of mazda after you're good at karting before go back to Porsche again. I just think that Porsches are different. Some drivers who can go fast in BMW or Mazda may not go as fast in Porsches and may take quite awhile to get used to. I rate myself an above average at gokating. Rented this King RAT spec Miata for the weekend DE before my GT3 purchase and by the end of 5th session, I was keeping up with one of the owners (who everyone thinks very good driver) bumper to bumper. And, no he is not fat! No weight advantage. Bottomline is, I think those cars are fun and easy to drive. Just like M3s, which I also happened to have 3 years of DE experience with. But, in Porsche GT3, I was all over the place (first few months at least) and still rate myself as total rookie. So, if your goal is to get a Cup car one day, why not start with something similar soon after karting (like 964 cup? Or, even older 911?). Also, I can tell you spent so much money into your GT3. That's why I was just giving some opinions on keeping the car without losing money. Just my 2 cents.

If that's the case, spec miata or spec e30 is the way to go. I just don't think that anyone should underestimate the things you learn from serious karting. Some folks become F1 drivers because they are good at it for christ sake. lol. But, that is a bad example of course since we aren't 10 years olds. But, it's never too late to learn some fundamentals. Anyway, to original poster, good luck with the sale!

C.J. Ichiban

dan, I did some reasearch on bullriding costs:

approx 3 impacted vertebrae, one torn hip labrum, a gut gouge and seperated right shoulder per event.

DRG13

I don't totally disagree with you Datax...My only experience on a race track is in 911's, GT3's in particular, I wouldn't classify myself as a rookie (I'm actually one of the quicker GT3 drivers in our area based on lap times) and that is without pushing it to the limit for fear of hurting the car (my definition of pushing it or getting out of my comfort zone, which I do not do)..With that said, I still have more to learn than I probably ever will, I just don't think getting back in a GT3 or P Cup car later will be a big deal...I did have my 2006 M3 on the track once and that to me felt much harder to drive than the GT3, but that makes since since my only track time was in GT3's and I'm very comfortable driving them fast...So Datax based on what you said above, you were very fast Miata driver but not quite there yet with a GT3, I should be ahead of the curve...I'm a pretty fast GT3 driver so I should be pretty fast in a MX-5 since it's easier..?? We'll see..

Datax if you could see all the money I've lost on cars in the last 5 years alone, you'd have me committed...

CJ, you didn't break down each bullriding injury into a dollar figure..I need actuals..lol...and a Labrum? I thought only women had Labrums?? You calling me a woman?

DRG13

Will somebody buy the dang car already, I'm giving it away...I thought you Rennlister's knew your stuff..lol

RJFabCab

Wow. Someone needs to step up on this ride!

Mooty, WHERE ARE YOU??? LOL

DRG, all the best on the sale. This car will make some track nut very happy.