So if I know how to drink beer I’m already halfway to a race license?


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Definitely. I would say Spec Miata is the way to go - you will always have someone to race/run with. You won't be competitive for top 10 but you can still have a lot of fun.

I won the local Spec Miata championship on nothing but seat time, replacing tires every other weekend, brake pads twice a year, and lots and lots of setup time.

Subtract the freshest tire budget and your annual expenditures (not including time) could be < $2k running 6-8 events per year.

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As a flagged at Laguna Seca, we all appreciate the “intensity” of the MX5 races. Bump drafting up the hill to the corkscrew makes for good racing

Why not 944Spec? Roughly the same speed as a Spec Miata, but you can find them for under $10k.

If your heart is set on a Miata, and you're not going to race for a couple of years, look outside Spec Miata for a track car. A SCCA ITA Miata, a NASA ST6, something that isn't quite legal for SM, but will get you a couple of years of track time, then it might be time to refresh whatever on the car isn't SM legal and get the car ready for the class. As others have said, it's legal to lower the floor pan to drop the seat, and make guys with a long torso fit under the roll cage.

One hang up of building a SM is the insane price of the hardtop. They're in short supply, you can get a Boxster hardtop for less right now.

Same deal on the BMW. Spec 3 isn't the only class they run in, and there's a lot of track prepped BMWs out there.

There are hardtops to be found for $1000-1500. If you need one NOW be prepared to drop $2500-3000.

There are a couple Miata Facebook groups. Good people on them.

I found some parts I needed desperately while fixing my car.

I was dumb to not him into SM 12 years ago when the local series was started by a friend. My buddies even built me a car which I ignorantly refused because, ‘I race Porsches’… these are an amazing platform with good competitive racing with good people. The platform is incredible.

I have a 99 which seems to be the year with perhaps a slight edge and allows a fat guy like me at 202 lbs (post hospital visit) to make minimum weight.

One other thing that anyone who has raced in a multi class race would have noticed is that there are 3 lines through most corners, the beginner line (brake hard, apex late), the race line (trail brake, apex mid corner), and the Miata line (hug the inside of the corner and pass everyone else in the corners… only to get passed back on the straight).

I have seen NASA Spec Z cars for cheap. May not have as many people to race with as in a Miata, but cheap to operate too.

I race an SPB in PCA. It's by far the biggest class in PCA so there is always a good group to race with no matter where you go. Can run in NASA GTS3 but I hear it's hard to be competitive. Can run in SCCA but I have not as there are not too many events in my area with them. Buy in and operating costs are higher w/ a Boxster.

If you're 40ish or under, do karts. Might not be cheaper than what I'm seeing here though. Maybe just the tires. The big track enduro racing is about as exciting as it gets unless you get in a formula car.

I’ve done karts and don’t like it as much as in cars. To be competitive in karts, the cost is more than SM. This applies to both Rotax and Briggs.

As I said, might not be cheaper other than tires. But you don't need a trailer and a lot of tools. I was watching some Formula V races on YT. Seemed like a lot of fun and a good way to learn car control. I always thought F classes were kinda dangerous. SM is probably a good way to go.

I just did my first SM race weekend (done lots of endurance racing in other peoples SM cars)…

My car is incredible- best SM I’ve driven yet. Very well setup.

Somehow I qualified 5th, and did as well as 3rd place in the 6 races this weekend (I thought the first session yesterday was practice so I pointed guys by to see their lines)… really, great weekend. Not bad results for a car I’d never driven before on a track that I had only coached on (but not driven on) before.

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Now that is funny! lol

Reminds me of "I was 7th!"

Looks like fun Unc!

Man that looks so damned fun!

Trying to get a few things in order to see if i can fit something like this into the schedule.