Spec Miata in SCCA thoughts please

I used to work with a guy named David Russell that raced a Miata in SCCA. He had a great time and was very competitive in his class. This was about 6 years ago.
BT

 

Martin, haven't Spec Miata but have done a fair amount of SCCA racing and know a lot of SMers - I'm sure they'll chime in here.

My 2 cents - the positives are obvious: very cost effective to build/buy and maintain. Lots of rentals available - why not rent a car and try it out? As you know, there's a pro series! Lots of competition at every skill/speed level. And so on.

The biggest negative for someone like you, I think - will you be happy in a car with a LOT less performance than the Challenge cars? Are you really a (relatively) small bore guy? Maybe you'd be happier in a DSR sports racer? Personal decision, of course, and I am NOT knocking the Miatas.

Just my 2 cents, I don't think you can go wrong with spec miata, it's a great class.

Will

 

Maybe you should check out specE30, it seems to be a lot cheaper to run a older 3er than it is a Miata nowadays.

http://spece30.northamericanbavarianracing.com/

 

If you want to tool around the track in a girly car that's cheap to keep running, SM is awesome. If you're competitive, want to run at the front, etc., etc., you're better off with a real spec class, like Formula Mazda or SRF. I know you're saying, "But they're so expensive!" -- not if you're planning on running at the front. A front running SM is going to cost you upwards of $20k, and that's if you do the work yourself! With the advent of the new ProFM chassis, ClubFM cars are going for 20-25k. So for an extra 5k, you get a real racecar that you're not afraid to show pictures of to people you work with (because after all, it's always embarassing when the ditsy receptionist says, "I have a car exactly like that!")

In the SEDiv their spec-RX7 class is IT7, which is ITA-prepped 79-85 RX7's (12A only). Probably the best RX7 based spec class because you can go all over the country and race competitively either in ITA or IT7. An RX7 isn't a shoe-in in ITA, but pretty much everywhere there are stiff ITA fields there is an IT7 class. In SWDiv, where Regional racing is pretty much a joke to drivers and promoters alike, RX7's finished in the top3 (maybe even top5) spots in the ITA Divisional Championship.

But that's just my opinion. Like Rob, I'm not biased at all.

 

I have been running in Spec Miata on and off for about 4 years as time permits and have not seen another racing series that has anywhere near the bang for the buck. Generally huge fields means you are always racing someone. When I watch other classes at the track it looks like a drivers education day due to differences in the cars and the small fields. While the SM is not real fast in a straight line there are not many cars that can turn like they can and for me anyway going fast through the corners with another car next too me is where the fun is. While there are a fair number of new racers in SM it has also started to drain off people from other classes so the talent level is getting quite high. Perhaps the best part is between sessions the SM racers are shooting the bull over the last session while everyone else is having to work on their car. The reliability of these little cars is amazing considering the abuse they see. Lastly, while contact is still a issue in SM that has been getting better from my experience but there is still more than I would like to see.

 

I am going to run counter to your arguement. Are you racing to impress your co-workers or are you racing to impress yourself? I couldn't care less if my co-workers thought I raced a "cool" car. I am racer not a poseur.

Formula Mazda was at one time fantastic but there's no one left to race at most Regionals here on the east coast (maybe it's different where you are). I am racing a Radical SR3 this year with a friend and yes it's a damn cool car but I'll be in "track day" mode with less than 5 CSR cars to race at my Regionals. The only people I will be racing with is mid pack FC cars.

The best talent in the country is in SM. Look at the first third of the grid of SWC and many have raced in SM. Roger Foo, Jeff Altenberg, Ken Dobson, Michael Galati (back when they were in SSB) and many more. Do you want race a "cool" car against no one or possibly a few bored retirees who want to stand around and admire each other's Sparco suits ????

I am racer plain and simple. I'll race anything as long as there are huge fields of competitors and plenty of talent at the front.

Payton Wilson won the Pro Miata Cup last year in a 91 Miata that didn't cost anywhere near 25K to build, though he beat the sh*t out of many who did spend that much. He's leading agian this year in a newer version which may cost 15K tops.

Bottom line is that racing is racing. I get a much larger rush leading a field of 25+ ITA cars into turn 1 at Summit Point and spending 45 minutes crammed to someone's bumper (and having several other cars crammed to my bumper) than I do parading around at 160 mph in my "cool" challenge car lapping everyone.

Last season in Honda Challenge I battled someone at every race for half a season. The last six races we raced against each other one of us won the race on the last or next to last lap. We ran qualifying and fastest race laps that were never more than 0.20 sec's apart.

That's racing....not coming in 1st in class (with 3 cars in class).

Just my 02 worth.

Regards,

Jon P. Kofod
www.flatoutracing.net

 

I got a ride in one at TWS with my instructor and I gotta say it was thrilling. As a fromer Miata owner I had no idea you could make one do what he was doing with it on the track! Made me wish I'd held on to mine longer.

 

Hi Rob,

Sorry for the delay in responding but that I was the person that had contact with you at MSR. It was one of those gray areas where either you cut me off or I stuck my nose into a corner I did not have the right to. I pounded out much of the damage but still carry a few wrinkles from that event. That was back in the day when we ran with the SRX7 group. Doesn't seem like that long ago until I look at the calendar.

Rich