- Feb 17, 2002
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So I went to a Corvette club "test & tune" autocross day yesterday. Two other Miatas and I (for a total of 3) crashed the party. We had one of each generation of Miata: a 1990 NA, my 1999 NB, and a 2006 NC.
There were two ride groups. Somehow, for some unknown reason, they didn't have us work the course, so we hung out and BSed with all the Corvette owners. All really nice people; it was a very welcoming environment.
So the course was on a runway and was set up for Corvettes. Basically, it was a lot of straight-aways, long mild turns, two extremely mild slaloms, and one 180 degree turn-around. If you have a car with a lot of power/acceleration, then there's a giant margin for error and you'll be okay
The average C5 and C6 Z06 was running times of about 45 or 46 seconds. The rest were a bit slower, and a few guys ran a high 43 (one was in a Mustang). I rode with a guy in his Z06 and he ran a 46 something. As an aside, I must say that a Z06 is a HELL OF A RIDE, even if the driving isn't so precise. The sheer power makes it kind of crazy!
So the Miatas were in the second ride group. The guy driving the 1990 is very experience and is a former professional driver. It took him 2 runs to set his best time of the day: 44.6 seconds. He was running with autocross tires (Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec). The 2006 NC was on normal street tires: 45.1 seconds; pretty amazing for having 400 tread-wear tires, haha. As for me... oh boy.
I've never been on that fast of a course. I actually got scared to push it! I was hitting 46-something times, but I knew I could do better. I was just freaking out from the speed. Miatas hardly have to slow down to turn, and I was bouncing off the rev limiter in third gear! I'm not sure exactly how fast that is, but it's something like 75-80 mph. I'm kinda new, so that freaks me out. This isn't highway driving; it's high-RPM adrenaline crazy stuff at 75 mph. I took the second slalom at wide open throttle in 3rd gear and hit the rev limiter at the last cone, barely sliding side to side through the whole thing!
Finally, after sucking it up and not being a wuss, I figured out a line through the course that allowed me to put it in third and just slam my foot to the floor and not lift. I had to downshift into second for the turn-around at the end of the runway, but then it was business as usual. I ran a 44.3 and just about had a heart attack.
The guys in the Z06's that knew what they were doing ran high 43's; like 43.8, 43.9 ish. To be that close to them in my little chick car made me feel pretty good. As for the rest of the Corvette club, they had a hard time acknowledging the Miata drivers
I am in no way making fun of those people, though. They were very good people. I honestly didn't expect them to be so nice. Not *everyone* with a nice car is trying to compensate for something
There were two ride groups. Somehow, for some unknown reason, they didn't have us work the course, so we hung out and BSed with all the Corvette owners. All really nice people; it was a very welcoming environment.
So the course was on a runway and was set up for Corvettes. Basically, it was a lot of straight-aways, long mild turns, two extremely mild slaloms, and one 180 degree turn-around. If you have a car with a lot of power/acceleration, then there's a giant margin for error and you'll be okay
The average C5 and C6 Z06 was running times of about 45 or 46 seconds. The rest were a bit slower, and a few guys ran a high 43 (one was in a Mustang). I rode with a guy in his Z06 and he ran a 46 something. As an aside, I must say that a Z06 is a HELL OF A RIDE, even if the driving isn't so precise. The sheer power makes it kind of crazy!
So the Miatas were in the second ride group. The guy driving the 1990 is very experience and is a former professional driver. It took him 2 runs to set his best time of the day: 44.6 seconds. He was running with autocross tires (Dunlop Direzza Z1 Star Spec). The 2006 NC was on normal street tires: 45.1 seconds; pretty amazing for having 400 tread-wear tires, haha. As for me... oh boy.
I've never been on that fast of a course. I actually got scared to push it! I was hitting 46-something times, but I knew I could do better. I was just freaking out from the speed. Miatas hardly have to slow down to turn, and I was bouncing off the rev limiter in third gear! I'm not sure exactly how fast that is, but it's something like 75-80 mph. I'm kinda new, so that freaks me out. This isn't highway driving; it's high-RPM adrenaline crazy stuff at 75 mph. I took the second slalom at wide open throttle in 3rd gear and hit the rev limiter at the last cone, barely sliding side to side through the whole thing!
Finally, after sucking it up and not being a wuss, I figured out a line through the course that allowed me to put it in third and just slam my foot to the floor and not lift. I had to downshift into second for the turn-around at the end of the runway, but then it was business as usual. I ran a 44.3 and just about had a heart attack.
The guys in the Z06's that knew what they were doing ran high 43's; like 43.8, 43.9 ish. To be that close to them in my little chick car made me feel pretty good. As for the rest of the Corvette club, they had a hard time acknowledging the Miata drivers
I am in no way making fun of those people, though. They were very good people. I honestly didn't expect them to be so nice. Not *everyone* with a nice car is trying to compensate for something
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