What happens when you drive in your mirrors at a trackday?

You get passed by a Miata!

Meotter II vs 350Z

Sadly I didn't have my camera when i had a similar battle with a supercharged NSX! :) I do have some more video to post up later during a rain session, and some other misc encounters on the track.

So this weekend was the Music City Mustang Club spring trackday at Nashville Superspeedway. It's probably one of the best laid-back track events that I've been to. I volunteer as a flagger and they really treat us right. Plenty of track time to go around. I probably did 140 or so miles on track this weekend.

My secret sauce alignment really did the trick for my lack of a limited slip. I was really able to get the power down, in spite on being more modest tires. The Fuzion ZRi that i'm running this year were fantastic in the wet, confirming tirerack's testing.

The poor car is getting worn out though. The engine is super healthy, but a lot of the supporting stuff needs to be replaced soon. The clutch, transmission, and diff are suspect at this point. The KYB shocks seem to be getting tired as well. I also need to refresh the remaing control arm bushings with polyurethane and replace the front tie rods. I've been pondering finding a newer car (with the stronger diff / limited slip) that was totaled in a collision and swapping the good bits onto my car.

The highlight of my weekend was a ride in a 996 GT2:

Local turbo miata guy picked it up over the winter. It's a PCCB car, and it's got some sort of turbo upgrades, it's got like GTP car levels of power. Apparently for the track the car only uses the high boost map in 5th gear or something. We'd get up to 120 or whatever at the front of the trioval, switch up into 5th, and the car goes into wangan blackbird mode and i honestly think it accelerated faster there than in 1st gear. The PCCB setup is mind boggling too, i could best describe it as what it must be like to hit a brick wall. Absolutely amazing car.

Thanks for looking!

Did the Z driver actually hit any of the apex's? That was funny and sad all at the same time.

I equate that the the skier that has all the latest gear and just looks "marvelous" having a wipeout on the bunny slope... . . Meanwhile I am out in my camo fatigues, and ww2 aviator goggles blasting around not caring about nothing. (I gots some good grammar LOL)

dean1484 wrote: Did the Z driver actually hit any of the apex's? That was funny and sad all at the same time.

Being the nice guy that I am, I showed him the video afterwards and coached him a bit on the proper line. He did a lot better after that.

dean1484 wrote: I equate that the the skier that has all the latest gear and just looks "marvelous" having a wipeout on the bunny slope... . . Meanwhile I am out in my camo fatigues, and ww2 aviator goggles blasting around not caring about nothing. (I gots some good grammar LOL)

Or the guy on the $10,000 featherweight road bike wheezing up the hill, while you pass him on your old steel-framed POS.

Your Miata with those wheels, looks great, by the way.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned "Don't you know smooth?" :)

At least he was aware enough to give you a point by. I hate it when I have to run an infield at 45 because of the ego car (fill in an appropriate model) in front of me, only to have them blast away on the straight. You catch them at the next corner and get to do it all over again.

Wow is that guy a horrendous driver or was it his first time on that track?

A buddy of mine has a spec miata and is currently running in the upper level groups in HPDE's. Most of the time he's tracking at VIR. VIR is a very fast track. It surprises me how many higher horsepower cars he passes.

The guy in the Z was obviously a valet parking guy who got lost. Not to do a disservice to valet parking guys of course.

I'll assume he wasn't being instructed - because if he was, his instructor should have been brought in for a pit wall chat.

Being i've never run on track before, I bet I'd be just as bad. But I hope to get my first try soon. Just need to get a few more parts for my toy!

Sheesh, take it easy on the guy. At least he did the point-by. Comments like that are one of the things that keep me off track- nobody wants to be called an idiot.

Not an idiot at all - just lacked instruction and experience. We have ways of fixing that problem. Don't let rude comments keep you off the track, or even an autocross course. That's what we're here for.

Teh E36 M3 wrote: Sheesh, take it easy on the guy. At least he did the point-by. Comments like that are one of the things that keep me off track- nobody wants to be called an idiot.

If that is keeping you off the track, then you're an idiot.