Which would you choose? The VTEC powered screamer with modern amenities, at the cost of slightly more weight, and cost? Or the bare bones Miata, no A/C, no power anything, keep your right foot planted, cheap fun and the pride of knowing the car is only what you make it?
A plan was hatched to do a simple meet and cruise through the hills to the Sierra Nevada Brewery in Chico. It was an amazing day and drive, but things never go according to plan.
The Group at the offset of the trip.
The road got narrow, and winding, as we dropped into the canyon that carved the the Feather River.
Easily one of the most amazing drives I've ever been on. Following the river, the scenery...
The temperature is climbing already in the Nevada desert, turning our windswept runway into a block of scorched tarmac.
The day was also a farewell. PJ is leaving for Vegas before the next event, and so it was a last hurrah to see what his S2000 could do.
The session started with the battle in STR between Bart, Tim and myself resuming, our position and fast times swapping by the run. The session ended with PJ setting the fastest time of the day. The slick and pebbled surface that normally favors the AWD cars couldn't stop PJ.
In the end PJ's time was edged out by less than .1" by a modified Corvette.
When the dust settled in STR it was:
1 - Bart
2 - Derek
3 - Tim
Shockingly I forgot my camera this weekend, and sadly too, it was quite the weekend.
(You have to rely on this video on Kevin driving the course in his STi swapped wagon.)
Saturday was the SCCA Solo school, I was instructing this year, and jumping from car to car, person to person, I learned a lot about what I was doing as a driver based on what I was trying to tell these people. As the day went on and the student's lines improved I started playing the role of the bad instructor. As the students gave into my repeated pleas to not shuffle steer and keep their hands at the nine and three positions on the wheel I realized they'd learn more by making mistakes.
By the afternoon my only comment was repeated shouting of, "Go faster! Spin the tires! Let me hear the tires squealing! Drive faster than you feel comfortable!" I wanted people to learn this was a place to cut loose, you don't need to drive like your grandmother is in the car. If we see you sliding sideways we aren't going to be angry, we're going to be clapping and ecstatic, so make us proud.
A few of the students progressed quite a bit over the course of the day. By the afternoon, full course, session, I was able to take a few students for rides. It was a lot of fun to have a kid driving a Civic laughing in the passenger seat as he learns how much fun rear wheel drive can be; or my favorite experience of the day was a fairly competent Corvette driver repeatedly yelling, "holy shit, holy shit!" as I maneuvered my little Miata though the cones. I'll take their shouts as confirmation the new Advans are doing their job.
Sunday brought the first official event. To my surprise complaints were made about my car. Technically I'm breaking the rules, but my car is actually fairly under built for the STR class, so to have another driver complain that I had an aftermarket steering wheel, that will not help in a performance manner in any way, was quite the shock. Cooler heads prevailed and a vote among the other drivers of my class allowed me to compete with my illegal setup. Auto racing is still a gentlemen's sport I guess.
As the day went on I was leading the pack in my class and fairly high up the over all results. My foolish morals and views of auto racing as a gentleman's sport made me share one of my secrets of tire pressure with a competitor in a far superior S2000. He instantly took .9 seconds off his time to pass me, and on the last run of the day a new NC Miata was able to squeak by as well. This season promises to be exciting. I'll make sure to have more photos and fewer words for the next season update. Our friend Josh, who helped with my motorcycle adventure was also close on our heels with solid driving.
The first time the car has been turned loose this year. The first time testing many modifications, the first time with truly sticky tires, the first time in the faster Blue "advanced" run group. What a day it was. I was feeling a little sick and just couldn't get into the rhythm of things. The car also had a few mechanical problems that prevented me from participating in all run groups. But in doing so it did reaffirm a belief I've long held.
Don't force things. If they're supposed to happen they will. When things start stacking up and you find yourself having to rush, cut corners, or not proceed with the normal amount of caution then there is probably trouble on the horizon.
My Miata, PJ's S2000, Bart's S2000
I decided Bart's car needed some more masking tape so people knew who was following them.
BEE! AY! ARR! TEE!
Bart's tape needed constant adjusting and replacement. It was flying off the car down the main straight.
A beautiful Nevada day.
Battered and bruised, our cars make their way home.
The longest the S2000 was behind me all day.
Love it or hate it. Just call it the Bartmobile.
When tires are hot, and sticky and decide to grab the fender, bad things happen. Take note hellaflush kids.
PJ gives me an official Chinaroll fender service. What a sweet heart.
I know I haven't finished up where I left off with the brake upgrades. The last week has been a little crazy with work and such. And up until yesterday I didn't plan on going to this Friday's season opener track day. Now that a track day is in the line up all the little projects I'd been meaning to get to got put into fast forward.
-Lower temp thermostat
-Oil change with heavier weight oil
-Finish up some one the yet to be seen changes to the braking setup.
(excuse the blur, it's late and I'm tired.)
General maintenance to make sure that everything is buttoned up and ready to roll tomorrow. It's been over a week since I drove the car, with the weather getting nicer, and my want to save money, and hopefully a little of the environment I've been riding the bike every day. Switching back to the Miata is odd, its probably the first time the car has felt fast, I don't remember the spacing of the gears, and it rides so much lower than my little Honda commuter bike. It's time to remember how to do all this before I hit the track Saturday. Last stop before that is a family friend's local shop for new transmission and differential fluid. Its hard to believe I've put 25 thousand miles on my car since this time last year, but I have.
The most important thing is I'm joining my friend Bart, and instead of spending the day instructing, PJ. They're both bringing their S2000's out for the day. Its sad to think that it may be one of the last track days I have with them both.
I've always liked Bart's style of photography, so I was excited to have him take some photos of my car, and now I respect the effort he puts into his work, even if its a goofy little shoot with a friend on a Sunday night.
What started as a simple mess text this morning that read, "Let's get pizza, bring your rwd," turned into a long, looping drive through the countryside and hills, to a reservoir and back. Two S2000's, a Miata, a BMW 3 series and 200 miles.
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