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Is the Mazda 2 competitive?


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#1
Protech

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 Looking at the results i see very few M2 near the front. .  Is the weight coming down? What is the full story please.

 Thanks,MM 

 

 I have sold the other race cars and want to build a B spec.  If the class is still growing.  That is also suspect..

 



#2
Derrick Ambrose

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We are working on the added weight issue and at this point it is a wait for an answer back from the B-Spec council and the CRB.  

 

I was on the top of the podium several times last year with the Mazda 2 before the extra 130 lbs was added.

 

-Derrick


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#3
Ranchracer

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I'm a bit worried about the slow growth in the class as well, but I believe in the concept so I'm building a Mazda2. The only way to grow the class is for more of us to build the cars!

I'm moving from one of the fastest classes in SCCA competition (FC), but to me speed is less important than having equal equipment and other folks to race against.

I've already written to the CRB about the weight. If you're thinking about building a Mazda, I would suggest that you do the same.

Eric

#4
Kyle Keenan

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It will be interesting to see the B-Spec turnout last season.

 

For what it's worth: SCCA put solo's in most of the B-Spec cars for the Runoffs, so it will be interesting to see who's weight/restrictor will get changed.


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#5
Ranchracer

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It will be interesting to see the B-Spec turnout last season.
 
For what it's worth: SCCA put solo's in most of the B-Spec cars for the Runoffs, so it will be interesting to see who's weight/restrictor will get changed.


Here's hoping they add weight and more restrictor to the Kia, and remove weight from the Mazda! LOL ;-)

Eric

#6
Kyle Keenan

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They need to do something about the Sonic and the Mini first....lol.


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#7
Bad Rusty

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[quote name="Ranchracer" post="69789" timestamp="1415600173"]I'm a bit worried about the slow growth in the class as well, but I believe in the concept so I'm building a Mazda2. The only way to grow the class is for more of us to build the cars!
I'm moving from one of the fastest classes in SCCA competition (FC), but to me speed is less important than having equal equipment and other folks to race against.
I've already written to the CRB about the weight. If you're thinking about building a Mazda, I would suggest that you do the same.
Eric[/auto

It won't be equal if heinricy (spelling?) Is there again !
Make it Rain - Made Paypal donation of $100+ Bona fide - A bonafide Spec Miata driver

#8
Protech

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The class will go away if the rules dont contain the engines better. If you think that you can race a B spec car without going through the engine..  3-5Hp is a huge change as is 50#.  Race cars with 90WHP  magnify the nuances. 

 Little things make a big diff on the dyno, tire pressure, tire size, alternator output,,coolant pressure. ride height/ axle angle , I have a set of "dyno tires" for each car, and I run without the alt. with warm trans oil.

 

    The only solution I see is to dyno a fresh showroom car for each type, set the power level at the wheels and seal the engines/ECUs.

  

 The onboard data is the right start. IMHO.   The   HP/ speed ,Phone apps have  pretty good  resolution now also and could be used. If the cars rolled over the scales and the data looked at each session, things might be contained for a while. But it takes a lot of man power and SCCA wont do this with volunteers.

 

Just like SM only harder to control as the cars are not the same.   

 As the class gets bigger more will push the engine builds. esp if the tecks dont take them apart. The  best oval tracks take the winning  cars apart each week and cars dont creep up on speed each year.


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#9
Ranchracer

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The class will go away if the rules dont contain the engines better. If you think that you can race a B spec car without going through the engine..  3-5Hp is a huge change as is 50#.  Race cars with 90WHP  magnify the nuances. 
 Little things make a big diff on the dyno, tire pressure, tire size, alternator output,,coolant pressure. ride height/ axle angle , I have a set of "dyno tires" for each car, and I run without the alt. with warm trans oil.
 
    The only solution I see is to dyno a fresh showroom car for each type, set the power level at the wheels and seal the engines/ECUs.
  
 The onboard data is the right start. IMHO.   The   HP/ speed ,Phone apps have  pretty good  resolution now also and could be used. If the cars rolled over the scales and the data looked at each session, things might be contained for a while. But it takes a lot of man power and SCCA wont do this with volunteers.
 
Just like SM only harder to control as the cars are not the same.   
 As the class gets bigger more will push the engine builds. esp if the tecks dont take them apart. The  best oval tracks take the winning  cars apart each week and cars dont creep up on speed each year.


Couldn't agree more. I was surprised, to say the least, when I discovered that the engines WEREN'T sealed by the SCCA. In my view you shouldn't even get a log book for the car until it's been dynoed and sealed. Allowing racers to self police ALWAYS leads to cheating by those who's self worth is measured by how many plastic trophies they have on the shelf.
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#10
Ranchracer

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It won't be equal if heinricy (spelling?) Is there again !


Heinricy didn't even finish.

#11
Kyle Keenan

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1) Heinricy did finish, just a lap down.

 

2) A good amount of the cars in the field still had their seals on from world challenge events. I'm pretty sure every driver looked under each other's hood. Had SCCA had the proper adapters, the Top 3 were going to get whistle tested on Sunday, but they didn't have the right spark plug adaptor.

 

3) Don't waste time/money going through the motor. You'll find more speed by experimenting with car setup. If you cant be flat through certain turns everyone else is, it doesn't matter who's got the HP or not..... Corner speed in B-Spec is absolutely everything. Draft is also huge.


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#44 Team KBR/KKRProducts.com Spec Miata
#44 Team KBR/Dick Hannah Kia Rio B-Spec/ World Challenge TCB
#16 & #36 Blairco Spec Miata's, ICSCC

 

2014 SCCA B-Spec National Champion

 

Dick Hannah Dealerships | Kia Racing | Team-KBR.com | KKRProducts.com | DBB | Fast Specialties | Blairco Heating | SBOX Engineering | Sikk Shades by Eddie Bauer, JR | Hawk Performance

 

Bona fide - A bonafide Spec Miata driver

#12
lostcaptcha

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HP isn't all that important because 5hp doesn't give you a big run unless you have a really long straight, most of the cars have pretty bad gearing so its not as big of an advantage like it is with a SM.  Even for the car I was running, Toyota Yaris, which was probably one of the high hp cars in the field I couldn't make any passes because the straights just weren't long enough.  Like Kyle said draft is more important since the cars have so much frontal area.     


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