Sounds like Mazda Motorsports is pondering it.
Discuss.
Sounds like Mazda Motorsports is pondering it.
Discuss.
Sealed crate motors! It would be madness to use anything else.
Also, we found pretty early (as in, the race debut of the NC at T25 in 2005) that the 6-speed will break a shift fork after about 200 laps. I think there were some changes but MX-5 Cup went through a number of transmission spec changes over the years. Obviously the guys at Mazda Motorsports will be aware of this.
Allow for the retrofit of the RX8 front hub on the early cars, I think that was stock on 2009+ NCs. Probably already in the MX-5 Cup rulebook.
Otherwise, it should be pretty good. It's a more consistent platform over the production range than the NA/NB ever was, so there will be less screwing around to equalize different model years. It's a relatively rare car by comparison but they're at the right age to be made into racecars. And Mazda has an evolved ruleset in hand already from the Cup era, so it makes sense.
The idea makes sense, but availability will be the bug-a-boo of the concept. I just checked Craigslist for SE and SW Michigan and found more NDs (2) than NCs (0). The NC sold less than the NA/NB , but is pretty popular in my local Miata club because folks my age (66) like the more spacious NC cockpit. I think middle aged owners will hold onto them. I have a friend who raced a T4 NC and it makes an interesting racer. I certainly hope Mazda can pull it off.
In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :
they're everywhere in the south... there's more than enough chassis out there to support a series.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
I"m very excited. this would put all 4 generations having spec series support with the early NA's now getting picked up by SVRA.
I'd say sealed motor and trans like Keith said and then pick your poison on front bumper style and go.
Keith Tanner said:Sealed crate motors! It would be madness to use anything else.
This. The need to spend over 8 large for a competitive engine to run a "Spec" class makes it difficult for those on the edge to run. Get ONE source for the engines and make sure they come with a dyno sheet.
spacecadet said:In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :
they're everywhere in the south... there's more than enough chassis out there to support a series.
Definitely. Think about it, if there were 500 of these spec racers built that's a really, really big field. And the NC was in production for 10 model years, so that means an average of 50 race cars for every model year produced. The NC wasn't a huge seller, but 50/year is still a drop in the bucket.
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