Hey everyone I did my first track day this past weekend with articspeed up in Albuquerque at NAPA Speedway. I got in 50+ laps and I had a great time. Since it was my first time on track, I came away with some things I want to change now. I am DD'ing my 2004 Mazdaspeed and using it as the track car as well. My next track day I want to go to is March 23rd in Deming, NM at the Arroyo Seco Motorplex. I have a month to try to get the car better prepared.

1. The stock seat has no lateral support and I slid around everywhere so would a good short-term solution be a CG-Lock or should I get a replacement seat? I also had zero head room and I'm only 5'10". Remember this is my DD so it needs sliders and to be comfortable for the 300 miles I have to drive to the track. I am strongly considering the Marrad seats, but the research on here indicates no one likes them lol.

2. I also need a rollbar. I really like the silver Bossfrog clearview maxx but I would obviously buy the padding to go with it, so wouldn't it make the silver version pointless? I like the silver for aesthetic reasons.

3. I also want a smaller steering wheel and I absolutely loved the stock Nardi wheel I had on my 2000. So I want to get a Nardi, but does anyone have experience with them and which one to get for a street/track car?

As far as the car itself it recently has had new spark plugs, wires, fuel filter, oil change, MR short shifter, transmission fluid, and I compression tested it. What other maintenance would be good or what should I check? I was thinking about changing the rear diff fluid and flushing the radiator.

 

Did you drive on track without a rollbar?

Honestly a lot of these things are personal preference. what do you not mind. To give you an idea I have an aluminum ultrashield in my car, and its also a DD car. That being said I drive it maybe once or twice a week, so the lack of creature comforts do not bother me for the time being. Also, try to find someone local with some of the parts you are thinking of, try them out, see how they feel, see what the owner thinks about them.

 

If it's a DD, I would try a foamectomy before you put in racing seats. I did it, totally worth it.

 

Yes I drove on the track without a rollbar. I honestly cant believe they let me but this was an open track day. No inspections or anything like that. It wasnt smart and I had two off track events so I definitely need a rollbar now.

 

 

1. Rollbar, rollbar, rollbar! Also stiffens the chassis.

2. CGLock is a good interim bandaid while you look for a race seat.

3. Race seat and 5/6 point harness. You need to sit in a number of seats to find the right one for you. My Recaro is very comfortable for 3 hours (longest I've driven in it), fits me like a glove.

3A. At least on a NA, swapping seats is pretty easy (four bolts). You could get a race seat, find or have made a mount that goes on the OEM slider floor holes, and swap before/after the track day.

4. Tires next. Then SS brake lines, non-OEM pads, hi temp fluid. Then other stuff later.

 

Oh I do have good tires. I was actually really impressed with them. 205/40/17 BFG sport comp 2s. Ive been through rain, snow, and track days with them now. They probably have 30% tread left now though. NAPA speedway has a lot of hard turns lol.

 

Rollbar, harnesses, fixed back seats. Flush brake fluid. etc

Driving on track is much more enjoyable when you are securely held in.

 

Dont spend money on the CG lock just for the interim, just twist the seat belt around at the buckle. That holds is pretty well, its the poor mans CG lock. And to get the shoulder belt to lock in good, start with the seat all the way back, buckle in, yank on the belt to get the retractor to lock, then slide the seat forward. If you did it right, it should actually be tight on you and the retractor should stay locked. No idea if it'll stay stuck like this for an entire track session, but it'll stay for a rally-x when you catch air.

 

The CG-lock won't prevent your upper-body from rocking side-to-side while cornering. Look at entry-level Momo or Sparco race buckets - hurry, you only have a month. You can mount them on stock sliders or buy new sliders that fit your Miata.

Rollbars disappear under padding and the hardtop (soft top?), so just get a flat black one. Plus, you get points for stealth on the street if your rollbar is invisible. Have a look at the Hard Dog M2 Sport no diagonals - very steathly.

Since you only have a month, hold off on this one. Shop around - Momo makes some really good steering wheels, too.

As you get better, you're going to go faster. Gotta have better than stock brakes, so upgrade your brake pads. As winter turns to spring, the air will get hotter, so you'll need to think about cooling. Use less coolant and more distilled water in your radiator.

While at the track, be constantly checking the oil, the water, and the air in your tires. This will minimize surprises down the line.

 

I like Momo Monte Carlo wheels.

Get a seat and hard-mount it to the floor, just four bolts to swap it in and out for the track.

My next harness will be a Crow 6-point because the rewebs are cheap. I'd get Safecraft belts if I had real money.

Get one of the "SCCA approved" roll bars. You won't be able to use hard-top latches, but you don't need them.

You're probably better off buying the cheapest Miata you can find to track, leave the MSM stock. You probably don't want to go down the "tracking an MSM road".

 

CG Lock is already the poor man's version of a harness (not that it really does much), twisting the seat belt up is just plain ghetto.

 

CG lock is definitely better than nothing, although it's much more worth it and safer for anything beyond a rallyx or autox.

The SS/chrome bars only remind me of the style bars on ebay, black all the way.

 

You just have to find the right bar. My Harddog Hardcore is "SCCA approved" and I can still use the hardtop side latches.

All I know its the Harddog Hardcore (1.75" diameter tubing), double diagonal, integrated harness bar, and made for a hardtop (shorter than soft top version IIRC).

 

It's shorter and the hoop is further back than the non-Hardtop bar (which I have).

It's my understanding the non-hardtop bar will still work with a hardtop you just can't use the side latches.

This is a good reference for HardDog bars:

Hard Dog Roll Bar Application Guide

 

This is what I was trying to convey but I'm dumb.

 

You'll need to insert a PCV check valve in the crankcase breather hose that drains the oil separator. With track use, the crankcase pressures push enough oil up to overwhelm the separator; and will oil your intake system. Insert the valve so that it allows flow toward the oil pan, and blocks flow up to the separator.

 

I already have a 2000 sitting out in front of my house. Why would I want to track it when the MSM already has a 6 speed, turbo, better chassis, and bigger brakes?

 

I have installed the FM version of what you are talking about.

 

Ok after reading your responses and getting advice from different vendors I've narrowed down what I will get here pretty soon.

1. A black rollbar (I don't know whether to get diagonals, or Hardcore versions or whatever)
2. Upgrade my brakes (probably 949's Stage 1 kit)

Until I actually can sit in some seats, I don't want to spend tons of money on them. I ask for recommendations and everyone says to sit in them before buying or find someone local and thats the problem. If I have to drive 300 miles to even drive on a track, do you think there is anyone local? Well there isn't so I just need more time to figure it out. So my thinking is I need to be safe and the two biggest safety things I can do are a rollbar and fresh brakes so thats what I'm going to do.