Expectations and advice

[sailaholic]

This had been discussed fairly extensively before. A search will get you lots of really good answers.

Essentially

1. Full vehicle service + Helmet + join mx5 club if QLD (cheaper events and will give you access to people to bench mark again.
Track time
2. Roll bar, sprint v seat harness, ok but not r spec tires
Track time, track time track time.
3 maintenance items. If you have a na6 get a na8\nb Torsen fitted.
Track time track time track time.
4. Maintenance items
Track time
5. Maintenance items maybe Spring / shock upgrade
Track time, track time track time.


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[Magpie]

Track time and more track time!

Paul Stokell and SDT offer driver training days.

http://drivingevents.com.au/performance-driver-training/track-and-training-days

http://www.sdt.com.au/adventures-in-driving-track.html

As said, join a club as there are heaps of members who will share their knowledge.

QR run sprint events and you can pay to have Doug give you instructions whilst sitting in the passengers seat.

Whist I did the same as you, try and learn to drive first and then modify car, I have found that with the modded car you need to relearn some skills, like braking! Try and put some effort into the theory of why the car does something, understeer or oversteer, the effects of throttle lift off mid corner, weight transfer in a corner/braking as these will help you be a good driver. Being able to accurately describe what is happening to the car will result in better advice.

Make sure you check the rules when modding your car as certain mods will put you into a class you are not competitive in. I should add some mods are not road legal and some to be legal require a mod plate/certification.

Good luck with the journey.

Why 8.5" and 225 tyres?

[greenMachine]

I can't emphasise enough the driver training thing, and do it several times over a year or two - train, practice, train, practice ... . Get some good habits first, then it will be easier to proceed than later having to unlearn the bad ones you have picked up by yourself.

Do the minimal amount of mods necessary to get yourself on the track, and put the rest of your money into track time. You will be surprised how much money gets chewed up in entry fees, brakes, tyres. Sure, your car may be 'slow', but if you can't drive a slow car fast, it is a waste of time and money trying to drive a fast car fast.

Down here, we have people competing at club and State level in standard cars, and they are having just as much fun as those of us competing in the 'faster' classes, and spending a lot less money in the process.

Later, if you want to compete in 'faster' classes, you will have a much better basis for making that decision, and a LOT better skill set for getting value out of the investment in modifying your car.

[kalt]

I'm thinking of entering the hill climb come and try day at mt cotton and street sprints at QR and Lakeside.

Don't think, do! Try it out and see if track time suits you, as it doesn't suit everyone. It's ok to be a poser/hardparker with heaps of mods

Considering your 5 is your daily you're probably not going to push it past it's limits and your jocks will remain stain free during the day.

[plohl]

Practice is the key.
Check out Guran's build thread. http://mx5cartalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=57&t=39676 Shows what you can do with a stock car and practice.

Also check out IWMAC http://www.iwmac.org.au/home.php. They hold dirt sprints/autocross once a month and I think a day driving out there is worth the experience of 3 or more track days at qr or lakeside (a lot safer then lakeside too!).
The track is hard packed clay and gets quite grippy towards the afternoon, however you have to work hard for the times. You'll experience understeer, oversteer, lock wheels, get on the power too early, too late all in a lap and the speeds are much lower then tarmac so it is easier on brakes and tyres.

Your car will get dirty.

[davekmoore]

Yup, to start off with, if you want to have fun on the track the priorities are tracktime and maintenance.

There's also good advice here on going to a slow track with lots of different challenges where you'll learn a lot and it won't be too much of a disaster if you get it wrong.

Modifications are only worth doing early in your track career if they are to replace and improve original components that are worn out. In some cases and for some owners, the best replacement for a worn out part might be a new original one, not a modified one. Also take care not to create a situation where one modification will create the need for more modifications. Wide wheels are a good example. By the way, I may be able to arrange the loan of a guard roller!

[MattR]

Mt Cotton is a challenging track and almost as unforgiving as Lakeside if you try too hard and get it wrong.

I would suggest a day at QR or IWMAC as Plohl suggested. The club day at Lakeside will be good and in a standard car in the 4th group there is no pressure to be fast just drive at the speed you are comfortable at.

And as everyone has suggested, maintenance and track time. My car is pretty standard, coilovers only because the standard suspension was 200+K km old and I have a second set of wheels for track days and it goes allright on the track.

[Magpie]

Mid week sprints at QR are less attended than the weekend ones and like club days no pressure in the lower groups.

There is a Time Attack Como held at Willowbank and Lakeside, however there is no driver training. I would suggest to get seat time at club days or mid week sprints or organised track tuition days. I have been only able to attend one club day thus year, however I used it as a test day and try new things out (lines/brake points).

Good luck on the journey and hopefully we will meet at QR sometime, I have a blue/silver MX5 NA6 (slightly modified).

[Tim_cyc03]

Go to http://racing.natsoft.com.au/results/#1 and look over the results from the tracks you want, probably compare the mx5 days as a start.

*edit: And if you do buy a harness and seat, make sure you get a hans device and a helmet with posts.

[plohl]

...

^ excellent idea. Natsoft is awesome and so is not breaking ones' neck.

[Vat]

Good luck on the journey and hopefully we will meet at QR sometime, I have a blue/silver MX5 NA6 (slightly modified).

Slightly modified in the sense that the surface of the sun is 'slightly' hot!

I'd echo the MX-5 club track days. I've just started down that path myself, the day was great and the only pressure is from yourself. Half the battle is learning how the days go, once you understand the admin and routine side of the days you can focus on your technique and the car. I'll be looking in to coaching early next year now that the car seems to be settled mechanically, and then think about mods.

[Guran]

Lakeside 14th Apr 2014 1:08.87 in a stock 1992 NA6 with street tyres (Dunlop Star Spec Z1):

It's a brilliant circuit and the MX-5 Club track days are very well organised. Just please take care because Lakeside bites if you get it wrong ... hard!

[ljs18]

Welcome to the track. Like many said, don’t worry about modifications, just make shure the car is technically ok .Get a set of QFM A1RM front pads, about A$80, and DOT 4 racing brake fluid. It is worth to replace the engine oil with synthetic oil. Then off to the track, QR is the safest but Lakeside is more fun. The key is to start slowly in the back of the slowest group and get your lines right. You will get quicker without trying. The MX5 club sprints are the choice as you will start with similar cars and similar speeds. You also get a lot of help and advise. The IMWAC dirt sprints are great to learn car control if you don’t mind washing your car. Have fun.

[adidistyle]

Also you can learn a lot at low speed.
They may not be as glamorous as the track, but Motorkhanas are an excellent opportunity to learn at-the-edge control, in a very safe environment.
You could also try Khanacross which is like a horizontal hillclimb, in a more forgiving environment.
These events are very different to Trackdays, and I would strongly urge everyone to have a crack, at least once. It's low cost too.
Also, if you get the rare chance to get on grass, take it. It is an eye opener.

What ever you do, start slow, and improve at your own pace. Focus on technique. You will get immense satisfaction knowing that you are faster because you are improving, rather than because you bolted on some speed.

Shameless plug...
HSCCQ are running a come'n'try Khanacross and Motorkhana on Sunday 5/10, meaning you can try a CAMS event at reduced license cost (1 day license, with complementary 1 day membership of HSCCQ). These are becoming quite popular days, with a wide variety of cars, and drivers of all experience levels. There is already a contingent from the 86 club attending.
More information here http://www.hsccq.com/start.pdf Car and apparel requirements are pretty similar to MX5 track days, except for the CAMS part.
Enter here http://www.hsccq.com
And there is heaps on youtube. But here's a few posts from a recent event. The next event will run slightly modified versions of these courses, and some easy Motorkhana patterns (easy in the sense that its not so easy to get lost)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dk9-SRJ8FXs&list=UU94lnnJUAC2Bk1t_tLND-uw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnrSncfa4mc&index=3&list=UU94lnnJUAC2Bk1t_tLND-uw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85MApLBN-wM&list=UUhHkFlPfcdOZ--FxmQdJT6Q