Mazda Miata on AMP
After about 9 months of having the Miata, with which Lydia learned how to drive a manual and she tracked for the first time three weeks ago, I decided to take it out to Atlanta Motorsports Park to test it’s grit, and it ended up testing mine. n</p> n<p> n<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ubniQOMcMIQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> n</p> n<p> nThe best word to describe the first few sessions: frustrating. Having tracked the BRZ nearly a dozen times at AMP I had gotten comfortable with the lines, brake zones, and corner speeds in that car, which I quickly found did not translate directly to the Miata. Not that the BRZ is a power monster, but compared to the Miata, I could miss an apex or deviate from the perfect line and still run 1:43s consistently. Not so with the Miata. One bad corner, a little too much application of the brake, or deviating from the race line at all, and I was hanging in the 1:51s (not great). n</p> n<p> nBut by the second half of the day, once I had gotten a better feel for the car, learned the near limits of the tires and suspension, it became much more fun. Once I accepted the fact that I’d be giving point-bys most of the session, when I found myself some open track, the car was amazing fun. I could carry a lot more speed through certain corners, I could brake later in others, and I could hold tighter lines than in the BRZ (and certainly than in the understeering STI). Perhaps it was having the top down, not having any electronic nannies, or the direct feedback from the steering, but I certainly see the appeal of the NA Miata on a track like AMP. n</p> n<p> nAt the risk of coming off as condescending, there is a certain pride of hanging with more powerful cars. The occasional time I earned a point by from a late-model mustang or E36 BMW was all the more rewarding. The thing about the Miata is if you don’t get your braking just right, or hit your apexes perfectly, you’re in for a frustrating lap. But get it right, and every second off your previous time is all the more rewarding. n</p> n<p> nOne item of note is by the end of the day, I was pretty beat up (physically). Having the stock leather seats and original 95’ suspension led to a lot of leg and knee banging against the door and transmission tunnel. Some Sparcos, a race harness, and some new coilovers with a bit of life left in them would serve this car well. n</p><p> nWould I take the Miata on a faster track like Road Atlanta or Roebling? Absolutely not, unless I had a penchants for masochism. AMP or Barber? If the weather is alright, and of course, with permission from Lydia.</p>
