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Re: Barnstormin': When \
Your absolutely right, its a freakin riot.
Just as a point of interest, and proof that Miata are like cockroaches, they're everywhere and can outlast a thermonuclear device, the just run 25 hours of Thunderhill was won by a Miata. Not the Riley Daytona Prototype, not the Norma LMP2 prototype, not the Miller Mustang Challenge Mustang, not the BMW M3 with the $30K tranny but by the Miata.
They take a beating and keep on running. God I hate 'em. -
Re: Barnstormin': When \
I warned Brian to brace himself for my opinion that he sucks. Here it is.
Spec is like any other "stock" class: it forces guys to spend ludicrous bucks for the last one hp or last 1 ounce. Therefore, you have super-expensive slow cars out there, and a beginner who thinks he can "get in" after reading the rulebook is sadly outclassed. At least the racing is close.Comment
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Re: Barnstormin': When \
I feel like this article should be in Grassrootsmotorsports. I love that magazine.Comment
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Re: Barnstormin': When \
But, David, that is the point. The racing is close. It's a riot to watch. And the mid-packers have plenty of folks to race with. Yeah, to get to the sharp end of the grid guys are spending big $ on fricton reduction treatments for everything but they're right elbows, but you don't have to do that and you will still have a great time racing.
When it comes to the Miata, Mazda sells you the parts to bring it to spec at a very low price.
Anybody can spend outlandish money for miniscule improvement, that's racing.Comment
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Re: Barnstormin': When \
I'm pretty close to switching over to Spec Miata from CMC. If it wasn't for the rough economy, I'd be putting both of my Mustangs up for sale to raise enough to buy a good SM, but right now I won't be able to give them away so I'm waiting until spring. But like DF said, guys are going to extremes to find the little advantages that make a difference in a class where the cars are so close, like "pro built" engines costing three-four times what the Mazda crate engine costs but have a 7-10hp advantage, which is huge for cars making about 120. The big controversy now is over running juiced fuel at $30-plus a gallon vs. "plain old gas." Again worth a few HP. There are plenty of tricks that fall into either the category of good prep or gray area "cheating" too, like repacking wheel bearings with synthetic grease, fancy exhaust systems, trick radiators, and all sorts of other things to eithe make or free up a couple of HP. Spec racing is great on paper, but it always degenerates into the same situation. However, that situation is still generally cheaper than an open rule set where almost anything goes in the first place. You can't ever stop racers from spending time and money in ludicrous quantities to find an advantage, but at least in a class like SM, there are some reasonable boundaries set.
Jetta TDI Cup was a riot to watch. Some of the racing was really good, some was just a crashfest. Make sure to catch the documentary Racing Under Green that chronicles the whole first season. I'm sure SPEED will replay that a few times even if they don't rerun the races.Comment
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Re: Barnstormin': When \
DF it appears the angry mob has rallied behind the moron thus far!
8)
(where's the flaming torch smiley thing?)
My SCCA experience was spent in ITC a farily restricted class that was all about the kind of stuff that Matt is talking about. It's is strangely fun to wring miniscule amounts of hp and lap time out of little cars with no hp.
BrianThat which you manifest is before you.Comment
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Re: Barnstormin': When \
Matt, you gotta finish that CMC build for the mag first!! Be careful about any "cheatin" engine mods though this time. ;D
For the cost of my wannabe NASA AI, AIX car I could have easily built a couple of SMs.
The SMs are a hoot to drive, I took my SCCA drivers license exam in one that I rented from Hoover Motorsports, one of the guys that preps cars for the sharp end of the grid. What a blast. Foot down damn near all the way around the course. Its all about conserving momentum. Its a fantastic learning platform. You can't mask bad driving with horsepower. Maybe that's why David doesn't like it.
I think spec racing sucks at the professional level, but it certainly has a purpose at the club level.Comment
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Re: Barnstormin': When \
Dude...off topic, but let's hear the dope on your GTV. Stocker or racer?
BrianThat which you manifest is before you.Comment
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Re: Barnstormin': When \
Hell, it's been done and parked for months. Even has a championship podium finish (sailed through the tech shed too). Just waiting for the freelance checks to start rolling in, if SIM doesn't go belly up first!Comment
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Re: Barnstormin': When \
Figured as much. Given magazine deadlines I thought it might be done.
The GTV is a 66,000 mile survivor. Got it for 2k, it had been parked in a garage for 16 years, only dents are from the boxes. I got it for my son, who immediately lost interest. Unfortunately my father-in-law, may he rest in peace, tried to start it before I could clean out the gas tank and gas lines, so the 16 year old varnish gummed up the SPICA pump.
I'm currently going through it and replacing all the crap that goes to hell in 16 years of no use and getting it ready to drive for my wife.Comment
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Re: Barnstormin': When \
I see they don't call it "Spec Pinata" for nothing...Comment
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Re: Barnstormin': When \
Spec = more devious ways of winning....Doing it all wrong since 1966Comment
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Re: Barnstormin': When \
There are also other spec cars that can be fun...
RX-7, BMW E30, Ford Focus, Honda, and a few others that just don't come to mind...
Some grow, like SM. Others like the Spec Sr20/Sentra don't go very far...
It does allow for some great racing...Comment
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Re: Barnstormin': When \
My wife drives an '08 Miata. That Miata has the best steering feel of any car I've ever driven. The manufacturers should grab one and figure out how they did it.Comment
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