Any Spec Miata Racers on Here?
11-11-2011, 11:12 AM
#16
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The fields in SCCA usually have 10 or more guys that can actually win the race. You don't find that in PCA. That doesn't mean there aren't great drivers in PCA...just less of them in a class unfortunately. On any given weekend I could, and most of the time did, win GTB races, NASA ST2 and GTS4 races. I did that for two years. When I went to SM, I sucked. I'm still a midpack guy in the national events and top 5 in regionally. I'm getting better, but still have a lot to learn. Been on podium a few times, but nothing like in PCA.
Drawbacks to SM. If you are really good driver and don't have a good engine a decent driver can beat you. It takes knowing the car, knowing how to set up the car (I'm still working on that) and driving 100%. Midpack is a tough area to be in, but their are crashes at every level because you don't drive at 9/10th's and win races. Since the cars are taken to the limit, a tiny rub or bump can sometimes send you flying. Starts are aggressive because if you get behind to front few guys, it is almost impossible to catch back up without a double-yellow or a great drafting partner. Get behind the wrong draft partner and you're screwed.
I just ran the ARRC last weekend in Pro IT, SM ARRC and the enduro. Didn't touch a car all weekend other than bump drafting and it had been a year since I raced last. If you are trying to get around someone driving crazy and sliding, just have to be patient. Won't be long before he overdrives his tires or makes a mistake which makes for easy passing. Even if you're faster, still have to finish and preserve your tires. No one wants to finish a race early...it too much fun!
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11-11-2011, 11:34 AM
#17
After 15+ years racing a 914-4 F prod car in SCCA with mulitple appearances at the Runoffs I simply got tired of re-building motors every 15 hrs and falling further behind the curve each year with Accura's, Miata's , etc etc.
So' last year I sold the 914-4 (still have the six as in my avavtar) and bought me a Spec Miata.
Swore once upon a time I'd never race an Asian built car.
Well, we all know about never say never and I gotta tell ya racing the Miata is a hoot.
Now my biggest decision between races is whether or not to wash it. (sort of)
When in F prod if we had 5-6 cars thats was a good field.
Now 20-30 each race . My "race craft" even after 20 years has improved and quite frankly had to.
With only 2-3 seconds seperating the pole from last place you are always racing someone for position.
I started out in the back and am gradually moving up as I learn to drive the car better.
The car has too much brake (I flat spotted three front tires last year) so I've had to learn to trust the car and scrub off speed with tires and not brakes.
All momentum of course so if your on the brakes you are going backwards.
Having raced for 20 years I thought I'd just come in a kick ***. WRONG!
The driving skill level is much better than I thought it would be, and the car needs to be maintained properly because as with any car it has its little quirks.
I still love racing my 914-6 but the Miata has been a pleasant surprise.Not much power and speed but a very high "fun quotion".
For $ 8-10 K you can buy a decent car and the parts with help from Mazdasport don't break the bank.
I plan to refresh the motor this year (it had 165,000 on it when I bought it and had never been touched). A leak down suggested I was leaving hp on the table so for $3,000 +/- I'll bring her back to life.We all know what $3K gets you with a Porsche.
Tom B.
So' last year I sold the 914-4 (still have the six as in my avavtar) and bought me a Spec Miata.
Swore once upon a time I'd never race an Asian built car.
Well, we all know about never say never and I gotta tell ya racing the Miata is a hoot.
Now my biggest decision between races is whether or not to wash it. (sort of)
When in F prod if we had 5-6 cars thats was a good field.
Now 20-30 each race . My "race craft" even after 20 years has improved and quite frankly had to.
With only 2-3 seconds seperating the pole from last place you are always racing someone for position.
I started out in the back and am gradually moving up as I learn to drive the car better.
The car has too much brake (I flat spotted three front tires last year) so I've had to learn to trust the car and scrub off speed with tires and not brakes.
All momentum of course so if your on the brakes you are going backwards.
Having raced for 20 years I thought I'd just come in a kick ***. WRONG!
The driving skill level is much better than I thought it would be, and the car needs to be maintained properly because as with any car it has its little quirks.
I still love racing my 914-6 but the Miata has been a pleasant surprise.Not much power and speed but a very high "fun quotion".
For $ 8-10 K you can buy a decent car and the parts with help from Mazdasport don't break the bank.
I plan to refresh the motor this year (it had 165,000 on it when I bought it and had never been touched). A leak down suggested I was leaving hp on the table so for $3,000 +/- I'll bring her back to life.We all know what $3K gets you with a Porsche.
Tom B.
11-11-2011, 12:48 PM
#19
You've just confirmed it.
11-11-2011, 06:07 PM
#20
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BMW to SM convert here, but an injury has kept me off track much of this year.
I'd like to hear more on what you think of the Hoosiers, I haven't run them yet.
Yup, I remember reading this and thinking the same thing.
Love the new spec tire...hoosiers are much better and you don't have to shave them. Later model cars are easier to make weight if you are a heavier person. I drive a 99 because I'm 220. Not really sure why they are allowing less weight and making the restrictors smaller..
Just the other day someone posted here that they would not even drive a Spec Miata at a track day because in their opinion most SM drivers are idiots that can't race without crashing into each other (paraphrasing). This is unfair & untrue. I'd put a 10th place Spec Miata driver up against a 10th place driver in PCA or any other class in club racing.
11-11-2011, 06:39 PM
#21
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ARRC had a mixture of people Hoosier and Toyo. Overall times were the same but it sounds like the Hoosier is slower in a straight line but makes it up in the corners. I was expecting a bit more of a gap with the Hoosier.
11-11-2011, 06:44 PM
#22
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I handle working on Mike's 996,atleast the things he can't do himself, and he rents my personal SM which I built and maintain. I have built a number of SM's as well as a number of P-cars over the years.
11-11-2011, 06:51 PM
#23
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11-11-2011, 07:23 PM
#24
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But 914's are very cool!
Joel, good luck in your SM adventure, and let us know how it goes/compares!
11-11-2011, 07:54 PM
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++1 to all that has been said above. I just finished my first season of SM racing with both NASA and SCCA. It was by far the best racing season I have had in every way. Racing, learning how to race, learning car prep, meeting really good people, I raced in over 20 SM races this year. Good luck with your build!
11-11-2011, 10:28 PM
#26
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++1 to all that has been said above. I just finished my first season of SM racing with both NASA and SCCA. It was by far the best racing season I have had in every way. Racing, learning how to race, learning car prep, meeting really good people, I raced in over 20 SM races this year. Good luck with your build!
11-11-2011, 10:33 PM
#27
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Come on now. Are you saying that you didn't do anything to develop a $7k car before the Nationals? I would find that hard to believe. I would venture to say you doubled that amount before the Nationals race. That being said. For you start in SM and have that kind of success is a huge testament to your driving. Not many have that level of success, even in NASA. NASA doesn't have the fields that the SCCA has, especially on a national level. However, some of the same top 5-10 are the guys in SCCA runoffs. So, you definitely earned your spot. Good luck this year...99's are a different animal than earlier cars. I hope to tackle some NASA stuff this year too.
There is some def truth to this Moot. I wouldn't drive a $120k Porsche the same way I do the Pinata. I can afford a $150 fender. But, being on edge to where you do make mistakes is where the learning curve kicks in.
The fields in SCCA usually have 10 or more guys that can actually win the race. You don't find that in PCA. That doesn't mean there aren't great drivers in PCA...just less of them in a class unfortunately. On any given weekend I could, and most of the time did, win GTB races, NASA ST2 and GTS4 races. I did that for two years. When I went to SM, I sucked. I'm still a midpack guy in the national events and top 5 in regionally. I'm getting better, but still have a lot to learn. Been on podium a few times, but nothing like in PCA.
Drawbacks to SM. If you are really good driver and don't have a good engine a decent driver can beat you. It takes knowing the car, knowing how to set up the car (I'm still working on that) and driving 100%. Midpack is a tough area to be in, but their are crashes at every level because you don't drive at 9/10th's and win races. Since the cars are taken to the limit, a tiny rub or bump can sometimes send you flying. Starts are aggressive because if you get behind to front few guys, it is almost impossible to catch back up without a double-yellow or a great drafting partner. Get behind the wrong draft partner and you're screwed.
I just ran the ARRC last weekend in Pro IT, SM ARRC and the enduro. Didn't touch a car all weekend other than bump drafting and it had been a year since I raced last. If you are trying to get around someone driving crazy and sliding, just have to be patient. Won't be long before he overdrives his tires or makes a mistake which makes for easy passing. Even if you're faster, still have to finish and preserve your tires. No one wants to finish a race early...it too much fun!
There is some def truth to this Moot. I wouldn't drive a $120k Porsche the same way I do the Pinata. I can afford a $150 fender. But, being on edge to where you do make mistakes is where the learning curve kicks in.
The fields in SCCA usually have 10 or more guys that can actually win the race. You don't find that in PCA. That doesn't mean there aren't great drivers in PCA...just less of them in a class unfortunately. On any given weekend I could, and most of the time did, win GTB races, NASA ST2 and GTS4 races. I did that for two years. When I went to SM, I sucked. I'm still a midpack guy in the national events and top 5 in regionally. I'm getting better, but still have a lot to learn. Been on podium a few times, but nothing like in PCA.
Drawbacks to SM. If you are really good driver and don't have a good engine a decent driver can beat you. It takes knowing the car, knowing how to set up the car (I'm still working on that) and driving 100%. Midpack is a tough area to be in, but their are crashes at every level because you don't drive at 9/10th's and win races. Since the cars are taken to the limit, a tiny rub or bump can sometimes send you flying. Starts are aggressive because if you get behind to front few guys, it is almost impossible to catch back up without a double-yellow or a great drafting partner. Get behind the wrong draft partner and you're screwed.
I just ran the ARRC last weekend in Pro IT, SM ARRC and the enduro. Didn't touch a car all weekend other than bump drafting and it had been a year since I raced last. If you are trying to get around someone driving crazy and sliding, just have to be patient. Won't be long before he overdrives his tires or makes a mistake which makes for easy passing. Even if you're faster, still have to finish and preserve your tires. No one wants to finish a race early...it too much fun!
i know darin well. the dude can drive, forward, sideways and backwards. and his first car was a POS, but he can really move it along
11-11-2011, 10:39 PM
#28
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Come on now. Are you saying that you didn't do anything to develop a $7k car before the Nationals? I would find that hard to believe. I would venture to say you doubled that amount before the Nationals race. That being said. For you start in SM and have that kind of success is a huge testament to your driving. Not many have that level of success, even in NASA. NASA doesn't have the fields that the SCCA has, especially on a national level. However, some of the same top 5-10 are the guys in SCCA runoffs. So, you definitely earned your spot. Good luck this year...99's are a different animal than earlier cars. I hope to tackle some NASA stuff this year too.
There is some def truth to this Moot. I wouldn't drive a $120k Porsche the same way I do the Pinata. I can afford a $150 fender. But, being on edge to where you do make mistakes is where the learning curve kicks in.
The fields in SCCA usually have 10 or more guys that can actually win the race. You don't find that in PCA. That doesn't mean there aren't great drivers in PCA...just less of them in a class unfortunately. On any given weekend I could, and most of the time did, win GTB races, NASA ST2 and GTS4 races. I did that for two years. When I went to SM, I sucked. I'm still a midpack guy in the national events and top 5 in regionally. I'm getting better, but still have a lot to learn. Been on podium a few times, but nothing like in PCA.
Drawbacks to SM. If you are really good driver and don't have a good engine a decent driver can beat you. It takes knowing the car, knowing how to set up the car (I'm still working on that) and driving 100%. Midpack is a tough area to be in, but their are crashes at every level because you don't drive at 9/10th's and win races. Since the cars are taken to the limit, a tiny rub or bump can sometimes send you flying. Starts are aggressive because if you get behind to front few guys, it is almost impossible to catch back up without a double-yellow or a great drafting partner. Get behind the wrong draft partner and you're screwed.
I just ran the ARRC last weekend in Pro IT, SM ARRC and the enduro. Didn't touch a car all weekend other than bump drafting and it had been a year since I raced last. If you are trying to get around someone driving crazy and sliding, just have to be patient. Won't be long before he overdrives his tires or makes a mistake which makes for easy passing. Even if you're faster, still have to finish and preserve your tires. No one wants to finish a race early...it too much fun!
There is some def truth to this Moot. I wouldn't drive a $120k Porsche the same way I do the Pinata. I can afford a $150 fender. But, being on edge to where you do make mistakes is where the learning curve kicks in.
The fields in SCCA usually have 10 or more guys that can actually win the race. You don't find that in PCA. That doesn't mean there aren't great drivers in PCA...just less of them in a class unfortunately. On any given weekend I could, and most of the time did, win GTB races, NASA ST2 and GTS4 races. I did that for two years. When I went to SM, I sucked. I'm still a midpack guy in the national events and top 5 in regionally. I'm getting better, but still have a lot to learn. Been on podium a few times, but nothing like in PCA.
Drawbacks to SM. If you are really good driver and don't have a good engine a decent driver can beat you. It takes knowing the car, knowing how to set up the car (I'm still working on that) and driving 100%. Midpack is a tough area to be in, but their are crashes at every level because you don't drive at 9/10th's and win races. Since the cars are taken to the limit, a tiny rub or bump can sometimes send you flying. Starts are aggressive because if you get behind to front few guys, it is almost impossible to catch back up without a double-yellow or a great drafting partner. Get behind the wrong draft partner and you're screwed.
I just ran the ARRC last weekend in Pro IT, SM ARRC and the enduro. Didn't touch a car all weekend other than bump drafting and it had been a year since I raced last. If you are trying to get around someone driving crazy and sliding, just have to be patient. Won't be long before he overdrives his tires or makes a mistake which makes for easy passing. Even if you're faster, still have to finish and preserve your tires. No one wants to finish a race early...it too much fun!
in a real race, crash happens. no prob
i am talking about practice and/or DE situation where SM driver (who may or may not be racers) taking ppl out.
11-12-2011, 01:38 AM
#29
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We did do some upgrades, but nowhere near $7K's worth. Won an SCCA regional race 1st time out in that car, after changing nothing but shocks, brakes, & tires.
11-12-2011, 06:56 AM
#30
If anyone is interested, we built a 1992 specmiata in March 2010 and used it as a DE car for my two sons. Never raced... we're selling it and asking $8K with two sets of wheels, two exhaust systems and ready to race (two sets of brake pads as well). New timing Belt, new clutch and water pump Aug.2010. Car was never raced and is straight. Mitch Piper did the cage and left side net. PM me if interested...
Mike
Mike