miata tips?

[rodhx]

Hey folks. I'm planning to join you on the 15th for my first attempt at solo. I've got a 99 Miata w/bilsteins and regular ol' 195/50-15 street tires (Falken 912). Anyone care to share some miotter pointers, especially an idea on tire pressures?

From the pics I've seen I assume the broomstick rule doesn't come in to play for solo...is that right? I may shed the hardtop if we get a nice day.

Thanks all....looking forward to the experience!
Rod

[Jedi1]

Get to the BRC early. Let someone at the trailer know that this is your first time out and we will make sure to help you in any way we can.

Having never run those tires before I honestly have no idea what kind of pressures they will need, but to be on the safe side I would fill them to about 40 psi and bring some white shoe polish with you to mark the sidewalls. We can dial in your tire pressure from there. I'm fairly sure 40 will be way too much, but it's better to have a bit much than not enough. Unless you have an air tank that we can throw some more into the tires if needed handy. Clean out the car before coming to the track. Just make sure all the junk that might be in there is gone. It's easier to not have to worry about things like that on the day of the event. Also make sure the battery hold down is tight, no chord showing on the tires, brakes are in good working order, throttle is returning to closed properly and that generally everything on the car is good and tight with nothing hanging off the car.

Other than that stuff. Come on out and have a great time.

Sean

[VroomGrrl]

Hey folks. I'm planning to join you on the 15th for my first attempt at solo. I've got a 99 Miata w/bilsteins and regular ol' 195/50-15 street tires (Falken 912). Anyone care to share some miotter pointers, especially an idea on tire pressures?

From the pics I've seen I assume the broomstick rule doesn't come in to play for solo...is that right? I may shed the hardtop if we get a nice day.

Thanks all....looking forward to the experience!
Rod

Welcome! I'm fairly new to this also, just caught the last 2 events of last season. Sorry I can't help you with tire pressure info. But just in case, I will tell you that AL SCCA is starting a new Novice program this year. You may want to register in the Novice class when you arrive, in which case you will be with the Novice group for some instruction & course walk, and also will be assigned an instructor to ride along with you. More info here: http://alscca.org/community/showthread.php?t=418
Scroll down to the 2nd post and see the info about "Novice class."

See you at BRC!

[rodhx]

Thanks Kathy. I'm planning to take full advantage of the novice class this year. BTW, I met you at the banquet...my son & I spoke about the NDCCC. He would be coming with me on the 15th but he will be on a student choir mission trip that weekend.

The car is basically good to go. My goal is to finally try solo but also to get more comfortable in the car for track days. I have done one HPDE @ Barbers, am registered for another at the end of May, and planning to do the TGPR PDx also.

[rodhx]

Got a class question also...do I recall correctly that a stock 99 Miata is CS? Is CSP where I end up with an intake & strut bar? I know I'll be in the novice class but want to make sure I know the correct classes.

[Jedi1]

Correct on both classes.
Or you could run STS2 with those mods and do the non Rcompound tire thing.

[engled]

Correct on both classes.
Or you could run STS2 with those mods and do the non Rcompound tire thing.

Sadly no 99+ Miatas is STS(2), see page 169 of the 09 rules.

[Jedi1]

so a 99 Miata has no home in any of the ST classes? That would be dumb, oh! It's the SCCA, that very well could be the case!

[rodhx]

Yeah...I too read it to say no 99+ Miatas in the ST classes. Sure looks weird on the surface. So, CSP as it sits, or remove the bar & intake for CS. Since I'll be in novice I will likely leave it alone for now, but move to CS eventually. My focus is track days and I have a hard time making the Sunday events due to church commitments, so I can't see turning it into a real CSP car.

Thanks for all the help!

[VroomGrrl]

Yeah...I too read it to say no 99+ Miatas in the ST classes. Sure looks weird on the surface. So, CSP as it sits, or remove the bar & intake for CS. Since I'll be in novice I will likely leave it alone for now, but move to CS eventually. My focus is track days and I have a hard time making the Sunday events due to church commitments, so I can't see turning it into a real CSP car.

Thanks for all the help!

When you posted your car class question I was tempted to respond, "YEAH, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT." The whole car classing thing is a big ??? to me. I mean, I read the rules and think I can figure it out, and then all the experts chime in with how it really works, which I never would have figured out. And then they don't agree with each other so there are apparently many different takes on the rules. I think we finally determined that my car is BSP, but I will be NBSP this year.

See you in the N-class!

Kathy

[zukitek]

I feel pretty certain that you will be a CS car no matter what if you are in novice class.There is a national debate that is going on right now that is deciding about ST for that car if I have it correctly.

RR

[TouringBubble]

You'll still need a class, even if you are registering as a novice. With your mods, it would be CSP I believe. So, your actual registration would be NCSP. Remove the strut bar and you'd be in (N)CS. where is Ervin? Isn't he the class chief?

EDIT :: You said this already. I missed that post somehow ...

[Welacey]

You'll still need a class, even if you are registering as a novice. With your mods, it would be CSP I believe. So, your actual registration would be NCSP. Remove the strut bar and you'd be in (N)CS. where is Ervin? Isn't he the class chief?

EDIT :: You said this already. I missed that post somehow ...

And the intake if it has been changed from stock, that will put you in CSP. I got in CSP by putting stainless brake lines on my CS miata for track days. Love CSP now because it is a class you can ax in and tt in, plus the competition is fierce. Anyways, who wants to race by themselves and have no competition.

[rodhx]

I was reading the 09 rules this afternoon and realized I have even bigger issues than the intake & bar. I'm in CSP 'cause my car lost its baby teeth!

Oh well, been meaning to get some of those for track days anyway.

[engled]

I was reading the 09 rules this afternoon and realized I have even bigger issues than the intake & bar. I'm in CSP 'cause my car lost its baby teeth!

Oh well, been meaning to get some of those for track days anyway.

Your in worse shape than you think, CSP has to run the "Baby Teeth". I guess your in some kind of mod class?