Driving at the limit is an art. If you truly understand that, you can drive anything fast. There is a feel to driving a racecar fast that, for some, is innate and, for others, a hard-fought journey to discover. I am fortunate to be a mix of both. But sometimes, as racers, we exceed a limit, whether...
I spent way more time on the fabrication of this project than I intended, forcing myself to have a bit of a reckoning. You see, I tend not to be satisfied with my work and continually strive for improvement. That’s a roundabout way to say I can sometimes be a perfectionist. And that is why I...
The hardtop on the Miata is one of my targets for weight reduction on the Super Touring 6 Miata. During the last round of extreme weight reduction on the racecar, I did some testing to try and determine what effect, aside from an 11-lb weight reduction, running without the rear glass would have...
Getting the Super Touring 6 Miata down another 130 pounds is no simple task. In part 1, I laid out a plan of attack that I started at the most recent Nashville Superspeedway event. I brought my scales to document the weights, and although I may have looked like a maniac with a Sawzall in the...
After a long, late-season break, we are back at Nashville Superspeedway for a third time in 2024. This weekend at Nashville kicks off the final series of events that concludes the 2024 regular season at Barber Motorsports Park in November. And even though the Super Touring 6 regional championship...
The exo car build has become a very detailed project, and the fact that I am using it as a huge test bed only adds to the complexity. As a result, this initial fabrication phase, including the roll cage, lasted longer than anticipated. But here we are, tying up the loose ends to bring this phase to...
The NA Miata came to me with extensive front-end damage, so much so that the frame rails forward of the front struts were cut. Although I am getting closer to painting and reassembling, I must first construct a front end. I will create a tubular front bumper that ties into the front frame rails and...
Although the main roll cage is complete, a few items must be fabricated before I paint the chassis. One such item is the dashboard and switch panel. I intend to run several mechanical experiments and tests with this chassis, so I need a clean and easy way to mount several gauges. To do this, I...
Building the roll cage for the ‘ghettocet’ is easily the most time-consuming part of this build. But here we are … finally … with a custom cage built and installed by yours truly. There are a few odds and ends to add, like window net mounts and a Lexan windshield. But for...
Last year, I converted the 1.6-liter NA Spec Miata to run in the Super Touring 6 class with NASA. This power-to-weight ratio class allowed me to shed the weight of the underpowered racecar aggressively. The result was a 2230-lb racecar with the driver, a reduction of 45 lbs. from the Spec Miata...
In the Southern United States, the race season takes a distinct nosedive during the mid-summer months. This downtime is perfect for working on projects like the ‘ghettocet‘. But this year, I wanted to do something a little different. Namely, I want to venture out and explore the other...
Let’s call this intermission on the Ghettocet Miata. A time to get up, stretch our legs, and see how far we have come. Frankly, I let my imagination run wild during the roll cage build, which has taken significantly longer than anticipated.
