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I am coming back to motorsport after 35 years away. I bought a MX-5 1998 NB and joined the MX-5 club of NSW.
I will be starting with club events, track days, hillclimbs etc. progressing to supersprints and perhaps even racing but my aim is ro compete in Targa Tasmania 2018 in the GT Sports Trophy class.
I would like to keep the car as standard as possible within reason. I have looked at the 2017 NSW Supersprint Technical Regulations and I take it that Type 1 requires me to use the standard mazda kyb shock absorbers.
First question: is this correct or could i use Bilstein replacements?
Second question: does this apply to MX-5 club of NSW track days etc.
Supersprint Type 2 appears to allow coilovers as well as 2" increase in wheel dia and 1" increase in wheel width and EMS modifications.
If i go to coilovers where would that place me classwise in club events?
Basically what classes does the club run at track days?
I will start off with no EMS mods and standard wheels, even the tyres that are on it. I will change brake pads and shock absorbers. I really want to improve over the standard kyb shocks. If I can run Bilsteins and stay in the standard class i will do that. If bilsteins will put me out of that class i will get coilovers.
The car will remain the 'daily drive' for my wife (my daily ride is a motorcycle) so it must remain comfortably driveable.
Looking towards Targa Tasmania, it needs to work well on roads that are far from racetrack smooth.
I will be asking for advice on brake pads and tyres and if i end up in Type 2 advice on wheels. Also seats and belts. I have a CAMS approved roll bar on order.

Great news! Welcome. I've been running standard class / Type 1 for the last 8 years. Started with a stock NA6 for 5 years, then stock 10AE for two years, and now stock NC1 for the last year or so. The club classes are listed on our website:
http://nsw.mx5.com.au/motorsport/track- ... le-classes

At Supersprints Bilstein shocks will count as a modification unless the model came with them originally eg. Clubman, 10AE, NC LE. Those models are accepted in Type 1 supersprints but not necessarily at our club track days in standard class (stock Clubman and 10AE are bumped to Class 4; NC LE is ok in class 2). You're not allowed to make a regular NB8A into a "10AE equivalent" for Type 1.

Coilovers on a stock NB8A will put you into class 4 at club trackdays. This is a brilliant category that allows a few minor mods and is highly competitive. For supersprints coilovers nominally puts you into class 2B ... but you'll be highly uncompetitive there. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes to encourage our members to "upgrade" to higher classes where they're actually likely to earn more points!

My advice would be to swap out the Bilsteins for stock shocks (KYB) and run in Class 1 at club trackdays and Class 1B. Alternately, leave as is and enter Class 4 and Class 2B (or higher as per advice). Either way, do as little as possible to the car and focus on learning to get the most out of it. They're remarkably capable already.

Not sure why you want to run 17" wheels? You're much better off with stock 15s for better daily ride quality, more sidewall protection on track, and cheaper tyres.

Brake pads? Hawk HP+ with stock rotors (not slotted) and Super DOT 4 fluid changed regularly.

Thanks Guran
Our car is still on original shocks, 160,000km. I have not bought the bilsteins yet. At 160,000km I need to do something. I won't buy the bilstein. I need to decide whether to replace the original KYBs with the same and run class 1 on club days and type 1 in supersprints or go to coilovers anr run class 4/type 2.
I will probably go with the KYBs saving about $900.
Either way i will stick with the standard wheels.
Do you have a tyre recomendation?

You may not need to do anything with the shocks. You could just try the old ones and see how they go. My old NA6 was on the original shocks and had around 220,000km when I sold it after 5 years of very hard use. They still damped ok, no leaks.

Tyres for an NB8A? For class 1 or 4 you need something like Dunlop Star Spec, Yokohama AD08R, Kumho KU36, or Hankook RS3. For Type 1 you can use Rspecs and Yokohama A050 are superb.

There is a club trackday at Wakefield Park this Sunday. If you have time you should come down and have a look. It's a great chance to see how they work and talk to lots of people to bounce around various ideas.

Hi Nuddy,
If you can take up Guran's invitation to come to Wakefield Park this Sunday there will be at least three NB8A's with the Dunlop Direzza Z2's.

I also saw your post regarding Race Seats. I have the Sparco Sprint V (Cheapest Sparco I believe) and it seems that the 'dummy' that Sparco shape their seats around is exactly the same shape as me (Not sure about the same DNA) and there are at least another two NB8A's with the same that will be at Wakefield. The majority of people find them uncomfortable and I can see why but no matter what distance I drive or whatever MX5 type road I drive on, I'm always comfortable.

So, If you come to Wakefield you can try it out (the seat not the car)...............#44, red.

Thanks guys
I can't make Wakefield on Sunday, still in Tasmania.
I was hoping for Wakefield on 23rd April but something has come up so it won't be till the hillclimb on 30th April.
I should have the roll cage, fire ext, and brake pads by then. Will run with standard seats and belts and probably the tyres that are on it.
I don't know what they are, will look when i get home.

Change of plans. We are back in NSW. Bega tonight, Kiama Saturday. Got the ok to go home from Kiama via Wakefield.
So I will be able to sit in as many MX-5s as drivers will allow me and discuss everything else, as well as watching all the action.

Nice one. I'm in #68 grey NC in Group 1. See you there.