any links to areas i can find out about these cars... cars for sale.. etc.. is there a forum for these ? google is worthless when i search. don't want spec miata stuff. tks henry
http://www.mazdaspeeddevelopment.com/vehiclerentals.htm http://www.mx-5cup.com/2012/inside/index.php Try the teams first.
I can personally vouch for Team MER, ALARA, and CJ Wilson racing. I have raced with all of them and their car prep is excellent. The MX-5 cup car is great to race and I've done Thunderhill 2 or 3 times in one. Also, Skip Barber provides almost an identical car as well. PS you won't get a very deep level of insight off of a forum. The guys RACE each other and won't exactly be posting and real scoop.
Skip Barber car might be a good alternative, just don't buy the one b-mak wadded up at Mosport I can ask if CJ Wilson has any cars they want to sell (that aren't banana shaped). team is based out of his dealership in Chicago.
i've done skippy... those things are pretty much stock compared to the cup car, right ? the b-mak insight is exactly the type of stuff i was looking for..... i'm just looking for something to do track days in and work on driving skill vs using a 500hp street car...... maybe do some NASA later. tks
so why not just buy a Spec Miata? much larger fields than MX5 Cup (or the SCCA/NASA equivalents) AFAIK the Skip Barber MX5s are built to MX5 Cup specs and allowed to compete in that series.
From what I have been told (by Ara of ARLA Racing) the Cup cars are way better than the SM cars. Not only do they have more juice, but once the suspension gets buttoned down, they are a hoot. That said, no production car will ever be a SFR. (Now if the cup cars could be bumped to maybe 225-250 hp with a turbo that would be one rock 'n roll animal.) Dale
I agree, MX5 is a much better car...but if the OP wants to work on his driving and racecraft, I think I'd choose SM instead. bigger fields and lots of excellent drivers in SM as well.
Come do spec miata, tons of fun, drivers/cars of all levels, and you can find a race every weekend. One of the best spec miata prep shops is just down the road from you in Cumming, GA called OPM Motorsports. Give Tom a call and you can rent one for the weekend to see if you like it. Santas Toy Run for NASA is the weekend of November 30th at Road Atlanta.
true but i'm not really looking to race it at first, maybe never. original intent is to use as a safe reliable track day car to develop my driving skills.....
there are two cars on racing junk..... one 20k, one 24k...... what accounts for diff in pricing outside of fresh rebuilds, etc. ?
You want to buy the freshest car possible, otherwise you'll be chasing problems you don't know exist, rather than focusing on your driving. Do you have someone in place to prep the car or is that within your skill set?
from what i know, i believe i have the abilities to prep the car outside of rebuilding engines and such...... i understand them to be pretty bullet proof.....
I've been chasing the "turnkey" race car for years. Most recently, I bought a ready to race F2000 car from an experienced team. The brake bias switch, installed backwards, provided some amusement under heavy braking. The incorrect installation of wiring near a crank fire sensor created some difficulties. We've recently disassembled the entire car, sending the engine to the builder, shocks to the dyno guy, etc. My experience has been that the only proper way to deal with a race car, new or used, regardless of the source, is to start by taking it completely apart and rebuilding it to your own spec. I heartily agree with b-mak.
If all you want is a trackday car, then I am not entirely sure why you want an MX-5 Cup. First, if it rains, you have no hardtop, unlike an SM. Second, tires, spares and consumables will be more expensive on the MX-5 Cup. SM runs 15 inch tires, the MX-5 17. Now all that said, the MX-5 has ABS and power steering. Add a hardtop and that helps as well. As for reliability, the MX-5 is very hardy, but only if properly prepped. When introduced they had fragile hubs and transmissions at least and you want to be sure that is sorted. An MX-5 hub failure can cause the ABS to do some wonky things
well i wanted something fast and safe. from what i have seen, they run with most of the high HP stuff that now shows ups at these DE events. i've driven a spec and a skippy car. i liked the bump in hp the mx5 provided. larger interior. i thought it handle much better. at the price point - they all seem to be much newer MY wise than most of the other options and although not looking to race at this time - i'd like the optionality
More advice - if you think you may want to race - and I highly recommend it - buy a car that is built to the rules of a popular series. Mods can be expensive and difficult. I always liked having a car eligible in a couple series, if possible - more opportunities for seat time, easier to sell, among other things. I think you will want to try racing. Reading your posts, I think you may be one of "us." You've already sipped the Kool-Aid, why not pour yourself a glass?
