First AutoX and Miata joy

Only had the car a couple weeks now but went to my first Autocross today. Was with the San Diego BMW CCA got to run 4 , 4 lap stints. And they ran continuous laps after our first runs of the day so you went out and got to do 4 straight laps. Course was just over a mile long.

IT WAS AWESOME

I can't believe how much fun a 90 hp stock 1.6l 22yr old car can be

I am so beat and so sunburnt.

Funny enough there was another Miata near by and I ended up spending a lot of the day talking to this kid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVaQaViVu-U

Nice guy and a good driver.

I got my first track event coming up in October in Sebring Intl Raceway. Got a hookup from a buddy that owns a race team on some NEUSPEED 450 front/ 350 rear springs that he had laying around the shop along with the bumpstops that came off one of their Spec Miatas. Funny seeing as I went in for just some rims and TOYO Proxes....I cant wait to get the rear Bilstein HDs and coilover sleeves and get it all together! I've never been on track yet in my 91 Miata and I cant wait to get out there and see what she can really do. I'm sure I'll be exhausted after the 2 day track weekend and prolly be burnt to all hell, but it will be worth it. Might even get in the autoX they'll be having.

Welcome to the sickness

DaveEstey wrote: Welcome to the sickness

I've done track days before but not with the miata. I have to admit in some ways the autocross was even more fun because of the intensity of the driving?

Upgrade your suspension and put some wider rims n tires and then go autoX or have a track day.....you'll have a blast. I just know that I will in 2 months come the Sebring Miata races/meet/autoX event in October!

I am in San Diego so Sebring is a bit out of my neck of the woods

I put the 14" star specs on the stock daisy wheels for now

I'd agree to that about Sebring. The stock Daisy's will be coming off soon for the 15x7 Team Dynamics with TOYOs. The Daisy's are too narrow at 5.5" wide. Tire Rack has some pretty good deals on rims if you plan on upgrading soon to a wider tire. I'll be running 205/50/ZR15 on mine, but its all a matter of preference on the tires.

It will depend on when I get the budget for it :) Certainly not worth doing until I use up the brand new star specs

Definitely. The star specs should last you for a while even with autoX events.

That is good to know. They look well scrubbed in at the event itself :)

miataman86 wrote: Upgrade your suspension and put some wider rims n tires and then go autoX or have a a track day

None of this is required for a track day. Maintenance items, brake pads, rollbar. Then performance parts.

Performance upgrades make it more fun though! Seriously though, safety comes first, always!

You summed up my comments after my first auto-X in my miata, "I can't believe how much fun a 90 hp stock 1.6l 22yr old car can be" They got it right the first time.

MattGent wrote:

miataman86 wrote: Upgrade your suspension and put some wider rims n tires and then go autoX or have a a track day

None of this is required for a track day. Maintenance items, brake pads, rollbar. Then performance parts.

Got in on the group buy for the Rollbar just waiting on it. Front brakes updated to 94 spec with new pads. Fluids in diff and tranny changed, new star specs on the daisies.

High on my list from the first time out are, getting a CGlock, maybe discussing swapping out the steering wheel because my knees hit the stock one, and I am trying to find possibly more supportive wife friendly seats. I might do the cheapy stock bracing you can buy or a set of frame rails but I want to avoid doing anything larger performance wise until I feel like I am much more familiar with the car as it is

Keep classing in mind when you mod for autocross. Seats and steering wheel put in you in Street Touring, which is a fun class but not until you have some suspension in the car.

Cool, glad you had fun.

I don't really think I am going to run SCCA autocross very often. I already have the BMW CCA membership now and Porsche also runs locally. BMW does about one event a month and not sure how many I can get away with.

I can pay 30 bucks plus the SCCA membership for 3 runs with SCCA or I can pay 65 bucks for 11 runs a free lunch, donuts, soda and water with BMW

So I am more interested in just modding for me and also for occasionally HPDE use than I am concerned about classing. As a non BMW I class into an X class with them anyway

Well, I guess it won't be too much longer till I'm running in Street Touring in SCCA autoX....I plan on swapping out my driver's seat for a one piece bucket and afterwards, I'll be swapping out the steering wheel. Thankfully, I'll have the suspension ready to back me up. It sounds like you got a pretty good plan going on though with your Miata. The main thing is to have fun!