Hardly Racing: Safety and Weather Issues at NCM
They say a bad day at the racetrack is better than a good day at the office… That may be true, but, is a bad weekend at the track better than a relaxing weekend at home? Probably not. And that…
Chris Simmons
Chris Simmons is a race car driver, instructor, business owner and all around gearhead. His passion for motorsport started in the drifting community and progressed into wheel to wheel racing of all kinds. When off track Chris can be found training and working on a myriad of projects. After a hiatus from writing, he is back to share his passion, knowledge and experience in regard to motorsports on and off the track.
Endurance Karting at Atlanta Motorsports Park
Did you know endurance karting is a thing? I didn’t until I saw an Instagram ad advertising the 7-hour ‘Lucky Lap Enduro’ at the Atlanta Motorsports Park Kart Track. Although I have done plenty of endurance races in racecars, when…
Kicking Off the 944 Spec Season at Nashville Superspeedway
How does a season opener full of rain, snow, freezing temperatures, tornado warnings, and car trouble sound? It’s pretty intense and probably a bit much for most. And not the slightest bit unexpected for an event coined, ‘Summer in February.’
DIY Guide: How to Make a Dashboard Mounted Hot Wheels Drift Car
I came across an ad for these little matchbox drift cars. You mount them to your dash, and they move when the vehicle turns, giving the appearance of a ‘drift.’ At first, I thought, ‘That’s silly.’ Then it became, ‘Eh,…
Rear Mount Radiator in the Miata Exo Car – (Ghettocet)
The minimalist chassis of the Miata Exo Car (aka ‘ghettocet’) makes it the perfect platform to test ideas. Complex designs become relatively easy, like mounting the radiator in the rear. And very early in the build process, I decided on…
Hockey Puck Motor Mounts for the NA Miata
The ‘ghettocet’ Miata affords plenty of opportunity to take things back to ‘old school.’ With that in mind, let’s explore hockey puck motor mounts on this project. It’s something I built years ago for the CA18DET swapped 240sx. And something…
Exo Car ‘Ghettocet’ Build Guide Part 15: Drivetrain and Suspension
Remember that two-week window I had to complete the Miata ghettocet before the holidays? Well, those weeks came and went with very little progress. Why, you ask? Because I had to rebuild the engine. Which meant waiting on parts. But…
Driftopia 2025 Preview
At this time of year, I usually write a farewell to (insert previous year here) message. And that is sort of what this is. But seeing as I did a pretty good job documenting 2024, I want to focus on…
Power Steering Removal: Convert a Powered NA Miata Steering Rack to Manual the Right Way
The internet has a way of making direct answers challenging to find and unnecessarily complicated. Unsurprisingly, removing the power steering from a Mazda Miata is no exception. The back-and-forth on the pros and cons is confusing and somewhat comical. That…
NA Miata 1.6 Idle Speed Control Valve Delete (ISCV)
I have been building and racing racecars for a long time, and one of my favorite things is removing unnecessary crap. In a 1.6l equipped Miata that spends its life at wide open throttle, the ISC or Idle Speed Control…
Exo Car ‘Ghettocet’ Build Guide Part 14: Subframes and Driver Inputs
The race season is officially over, and it’s time to finish this. I have significant plans for the 2025 season and about a two-week window during which I can devote considerable time to the exo car build. That said, there…
Rebooting 944 Spec at Barber Motorsports Park
Over two years have passed since my last race in 944 Spec. While I moved on for numerous reasons, the primary catalyst was the shrinking field. More often than not, I would find myself in fields of one or two…