Track Day Madness
Discussion
I would quite like to have a go at a track day (Oulton Park) in my MX5 when Spring arrives. I don't want to get massively into doing track days and it may well be a one-off to get it out of my system. I don't want to start putting on new brakes, suspension or tyres and would run the car as stock. I would not be pushing the car to the limits, just trying to have some fun.
The big question is - would I be mental doing this without a rollcage or roll bars? Mine is a standard 1998 Mk2 1.8iS and I have nothing behind the rear seats other than the soft top.
Cheers
The big question is - would I be mental doing this without a rollcage or roll bars? Mine is a standard 1998 Mk2 1.8iS and I have nothing behind the rear seats other than the soft top.
Cheers
I think you answered your own question. However, you will be fine doing it without a role cage, its no more dangerous than driving in your MX5 on th road...without a roll cage. However if you did get more serious and do more then one would make a some sense. But as you dont want to take it any further than a bit of fun then...just ....have fun.
Just make sure the car is serviced and the brake pads are in good condition and that your tyres are okay...thats all you need to do really!
Remember YOU are in control of your own fate on track, if your uncomfortable running your engine to the red line then dont, if you dont feel totally in control of the car then slow down. Trackdays are all about being able to drive quicker than you would on the road and taking nice lines through corners, it doesnt have to be all about driving on the ragged edge.
Remember YOU are in control of your own fate on track, if your uncomfortable running your engine to the red line then dont, if you dont feel totally in control of the car then slow down. Trackdays are all about being able to drive quicker than you would on the road and taking nice lines through corners, it doesnt have to be all about driving on the ragged edge.
I 99.9% guarantee you will get there, do a couple of hours, love it, then start pushing hard, then your brakes will fade, then your tyres will start overheating, then you will looking up new brakes and tyres in the lunch break, then go out on track after lunch and wish you would have ordered these parts before the trackday, then you will get home, order the parts, have then fitted, book another trackday and enjoy that much more.
Then you have the trackday bug.
Just a prediction though
Then you have the trackday bug.
Just a prediction though
I've just done a track day at Brands in my '91 1.6 MX5. In the past I've done track days in an Impreza but this was the first one I'd done in the Mazda and I was very pleasently surprised at the comparative lack of wear and tear. In the Impreza the brakes and tyres really knew they'd been on a track. With the MX5, however, straight line speeds were lower and the car is much lighter with the result that neither the brakes nor the tyres suffered to anything like the same extent. Plus, the handling, compact size and open top made it much more fun. You just had to keep well out of the way on the straights but in the twisty bits we were a match for (almost) anyone! My car has a few non standard bits but nothing of any real consequence and no roll cage (just a so called chromed "style bar" that it had when I bought it and which is pretty much a waste of space!). I can't say that I felt any more vulnerable than normal; in fact a good deal safer than when driving back around the M25 in the dark and the rain! So my advice would be to go for it, take it at your own pace, watch your mirrors and have fun.
If your car is good enough for fast road driving it's good enough for track days. Simple as.
Yes, a roll cage is a good idea if you're going to do lots and you might need to look at some uprated brake pads, but I defy any petrolhead to take something like an MX5 onto a circuit and not have fun even in standard form. It's not against the clock (and let's face it, lap times are fairly academic in a naturally aspirated '5!) so just avoid last minute braking and give the car a few minutes to cool down every so often.
Don't get me wrong - I agree with the posts above that you'll probably get the track day bug and start upgrading, but there's nothing at all wrong with a standard MX5 on a track.
Yes, a roll cage is a good idea if you're going to do lots and you might need to look at some uprated brake pads, but I defy any petrolhead to take something like an MX5 onto a circuit and not have fun even in standard form. It's not against the clock (and let's face it, lap times are fairly academic in a naturally aspirated '5!) so just avoid last minute braking and give the car a few minutes to cool down every so often.
Don't get me wrong - I agree with the posts above that you'll probably get the track day bug and start upgrading, but there's nothing at all wrong with a standard MX5 on a track.
matt frost said:
I 99.9% guarantee you will get there, do a couple of hours, love it, then start pushing hard, then your brakes will fade, then your tyres will start overheating, then you will looking up new brakes and tyres in the lunch break, then go out on track after lunch and wish you would have ordered these parts before the trackday, then you will get home, order the parts, have then fitted, book another trackday and enjoy that much more.
Then you have the trackday bug.
Just a prediction though
+1. Then you have the trackday bug.
Just a prediction though
I'd suggest getting a simple roll-over bar - even just for driving an MX5 on the road.
I've got an MX5 mark 1 as a daily-driver (have another trackcar) and decided to put a rollbar on it after seeing roll-over test footage on youtube!
Most modern convertables have pyrotechnic rollbars that pop up like airbags. The mrk 1/2 MX5s have nothing. What really shocked/suprised me is that the windscreen frame isn't particularly reinforced and just goes flat in a roll!
I would have thought roll-overs are fairly rare on the road compared to other types of crash (head on, to the side etc.) but they can happen.
On the track, the chances of a roll are still very low, but a bit higher - typical roll involves oversteer slide, then catching outside wheels on gravel traps or the edge of the circuit and tipping over.
Good example on youtube of a road-going scooby rolling in the US in that circumstance (search for subaru roll trackday)
A rollcage isn't an option for a road going MX5 anyway as the cockpit is too small so the bars would be dangerously close to your head (the race MX5's can't even have a soft/hardtop as the bars are higher than the factory 'roof' options).
A simple roll bar isn't particularly ugly, expensive, or difficult to fit. If you get more 'into' your trackdays you could get a hardtop as well - not to protect you in a roll (it's only made of fibreglass) but more to stop your arms and body flying around and sliding on the tarmac or being buried in the gravel trap.
I do agree with the other advice on here - you can drive in relative saftey without one, even on the track (after all 1,000,000 MX5's seems to be driving around on the road with no roll bar or with a shiney crome style bar)
Just depends on your assessment of the risks....
I've got an MX5 mark 1 as a daily-driver (have another trackcar) and decided to put a rollbar on it after seeing roll-over test footage on youtube!
Most modern convertables have pyrotechnic rollbars that pop up like airbags. The mrk 1/2 MX5s have nothing. What really shocked/suprised me is that the windscreen frame isn't particularly reinforced and just goes flat in a roll!
I would have thought roll-overs are fairly rare on the road compared to other types of crash (head on, to the side etc.) but they can happen.
On the track, the chances of a roll are still very low, but a bit higher - typical roll involves oversteer slide, then catching outside wheels on gravel traps or the edge of the circuit and tipping over.
Good example on youtube of a road-going scooby rolling in the US in that circumstance (search for subaru roll trackday)
A rollcage isn't an option for a road going MX5 anyway as the cockpit is too small so the bars would be dangerously close to your head (the race MX5's can't even have a soft/hardtop as the bars are higher than the factory 'roof' options).
A simple roll bar isn't particularly ugly, expensive, or difficult to fit. If you get more 'into' your trackdays you could get a hardtop as well - not to protect you in a roll (it's only made of fibreglass) but more to stop your arms and body flying around and sliding on the tarmac or being buried in the gravel trap.
I do agree with the other advice on here - you can drive in relative saftey without one, even on the track (after all 1,000,000 MX5's seems to be driving around on the road with no roll bar or with a shiney crome style bar)
Just depends on your assessment of the risks....
JQ said:
I would quite like to have a go at a track day (Oulton Park) in my MX5 when Spring arrives. I don't want to get massively into doing track days and it may well be a one-off to get it out of my system. I don't want to start putting on new brakes, suspension or tyres and would run the car as stock. I would not be pushing the car to the limits, just trying to have some fun.
The big question is - would I be mental doing this without a rollcage or roll bars? Mine is a standard 1998 Mk2 1.8iS and I have nothing behind the rear seats other than the soft top.
Cheers
The big question is - would I be mental doing this without a rollcage or roll bars? Mine is a standard 1998 Mk2 1.8iS and I have nothing behind the rear seats other than the soft top.
Cheers
A girl rolled a (hired) MX-5 at brands last year, so it does happen. what about a hardtop? Are they strong enough to protect you?
Also I recommend a brands hatch novice day for your first track day, if I were you I'd do a half day as your car might not cope with more then that anyway. As above, make sure the brakes are in good condition (fluid/pads/discs) and that you have decent tyres.
Also I recommend a brands hatch novice day for your first track day, if I were you I'd do a half day as your car might not cope with more then that anyway. As above, make sure the brakes are in good condition (fluid/pads/discs) and that you have decent tyres.
varsas said:
A girl rolled a (hired) MX-5 at brands last year, so it does happen. what about a hardtop? Are they strong enough to protect you?
Also I recommend a brands hatch novice day for your first track day, if I were you I'd do a half day as your car might not cope with more then that anyway. As above, make sure the brakes are in good condition (fluid/pads/discs) and that you have decent tyres.
I would think the new shape folding hardtop version would be much stronger in a roll over but the removable fibreglass item from earlier models doesnt offer any extra crash protection.Also I recommend a brands hatch novice day for your first track day, if I were you I'd do a half day as your car might not cope with more then that anyway. As above, make sure the brakes are in good condition (fluid/pads/discs) and that you have decent tyres.
The car should last if it is serviced before the event and the OP doesnt drive like a complete loon
varsas said:
A girl rolled a (hired) MX-5 at brands last year.
I know for a fact that people have succeeded in rolling them in road use too. Everything in life carries a small amount of risk. Personally, if I was the OP, I'd wait until he gets hooked on track days (as, let's face it, he probably will) and then think about upgrades or a change of car. Yes, there's always a small risk, but it's not as if you're going to plaster yourself from head to foot in nomex and completely re-engineer the car for a first taste of track driving. I see absolutely no reason why a first forray on track can't be done in a completely standard car.Just to open up another can of worms, one of the things that came up when I looked into an MX5 track car was that some even consider roll bars (let alone full cages) dangerous if you're not wearing a helmet (i.e. in normal road use). The argument is that the human body can stretch a lot further under trauma that it can normally (and basic seat belts can also allow a degree of movement). The consensus seemed to be you were more likely to be injured by the roll cage in a normal road accident on the way to the event than you were to roll it there.
Chris71 said:
varsas said:
A girl rolled a (hired) MX-5 at brands last year.
I know for a fact that people have succeeded in rolling them in road use too. Everything in life carries a small amount of risk. Personally, if I was the OP, I'd wait until he gets hooked on track days (as, let's face it, he probably will) and then think about upgrades or a change of car. Yes, there's always a small risk, but it's not as if you're going to plaster yourself from head to foot in nomex and completely re-engineer the car for a first taste of track driving. I see absolutely no reason why a first forray on track can't be done in a completely standard car.Just to open up another can of worms, one of the things that came up when I looked into an MX5 track car was that some even consider roll bars (let alone full cages) dangerous if you're not wearing a helmet (i.e. in normal road use). The argument is that the human body can stretch a lot further under trauma that it can normally (and basic seat belts can also allow a degree of movement). The consensus seemed to be you were more likely to be injured by the roll cage in a normal road accident on the way to the event than you were to roll it there.
Chris71 said:
varsas said:
A girl rolled a (hired) MX-5 at brands last year.
I know for a fact that people have succeeded in rolling them in road use too. Everything in life carries a small amount of risk. Personally, if I was the OP, I'd wait until he gets hooked on track days (as, let's face it, he probably will) and then think about upgrades or a change of car. Yes, there's always a small risk, but it's not as if you're going to plaster yourself from head to foot in nomex and completely re-engineer the car for a first taste of track driving. I see absolutely no reason why a first forray on track can't be done in a completely standard car.Just to open up another can of worms, one of the things that came up when I looked into an MX5 track car was that some even consider roll bars (let alone full cages) dangerous if you're not wearing a helmet (i.e. in normal road use). The argument is that the human body can stretch a lot further under trauma that it can normally (and basic seat belts can also allow a degree of movement). The consensus seemed to be you were more likely to be injured by the roll cage in a normal road accident on the way to the event than you were to roll it there.
For reference my track day car does not have a roll cage or harnesses, but it is a 'tin top'.
Really glad I came across this thread for my own reasons.
I'll just start by doing the decent thing and responding to the OP. Your MX5 will be fine as long as it's serviced and has life in the consumables, just get it on Oulton and catch the bug as others have all already said.
Slightly as an aside; I've been looking at a joint venture track toy and the MX5 was one of our short list options, along with 3-Series and Porker FR layout cars. I'd already dismissed the MX5 on the grounds that we need to drive it to and from circuits and the lack of space for gear, helmets and spare track wheels/rubber was one of things that has turned me away in favour of the bigger saloons/coupes which we intend to strip and have room where the rear seats were for wheels etc.
The posts above about cages for MX5's has also now confirmed to me that the MX5 wouldn't make a good choice for a toy that needs driving to and back from circuits as we definitely want roll over protection in the form of a cage and also need a hardtop.
I'll just start by doing the decent thing and responding to the OP. Your MX5 will be fine as long as it's serviced and has life in the consumables, just get it on Oulton and catch the bug as others have all already said.
Slightly as an aside; I've been looking at a joint venture track toy and the MX5 was one of our short list options, along with 3-Series and Porker FR layout cars. I'd already dismissed the MX5 on the grounds that we need to drive it to and from circuits and the lack of space for gear, helmets and spare track wheels/rubber was one of things that has turned me away in favour of the bigger saloons/coupes which we intend to strip and have room where the rear seats were for wheels etc.
The posts above about cages for MX5's has also now confirmed to me that the MX5 wouldn't make a good choice for a toy that needs driving to and back from circuits as we definitely want roll over protection in the form of a cage and also need a hardtop.
Gassing Station | Track Days | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff