TOPEKA, Kan. (September 16, 2015) – A record-breaking 1,226 competitors ran the 42nd Tire Rack SCCA Solo Nationals presented by Garmin VIRB, and it seemed that nearly everyone stopped by the Mazda Motorsports paddock spot to, at least, see the pair of 2016 Mazda MX-5s prepped for competition.
Under development for the 2017 season, Mazda Motorsports prepped cars for C Street and Street Touring R classes to run, with permission from the SCCA, as an exhibition in the autocross finale in Lincoln, Nebraska. Dozens of competitors took turns behind the wheel on the test and tune course, and hundreds more sat in the seats just to get a feel for the “ND” MX-5, which has only been available since late summer.
The real work came down to two smaller groups, however. Five-time National Champion Andy Hollis and Grassroots Motorsports editor David Wallens, representing the magazine, ran the car in anger on Thursday and Friday in C Street, in mostly stock configuration. Seven-time champion Erik Strelnieks, two-time champion Ron Bauer , and one-time champion Tara Johns ran a different, more highly prepped version in Street Touring R, with a hat tip from SportsCar Magazine, the official magazine of the Sports Car Club of America.
The result, in both classes, were competitive times and some ideas for further development of the car.
The car itself, however, came with rave reviews.
“I really love the handling,” Hollis said of the stock version that he was driving. “The handling of the car is awesome. The term I like to use is telepathic. You look where you want to go, your hands follow your eyes, and the car just does what you’re thinking. You can very easily move the weight around with the throttle and the brakes and the steering wheel.
“It’s very much like the original Miatas, both the NA and very much the NB, that’s what it feels like to me. And it puts the power down very well, too. It’s not abrupt or anything when you roll back the power. It’s not a raucous Z06 experience; it’s a much more intimate style of handling. It’s a classic roadster experience, and it’s got enough power to support that. I like it so much, I’m buying one – for a daily, at least, and whether it ends up as my autocross car, we’ll see. I like it that much.”
Strelnieks got to drive the further developed version, and the result was the same.
“The idea [this week] is to introduce a fabulous looking car to the Solo community that everyone can afford and do well in right off the bat, with great Mazda sponsorship and a car that can really get it done in two classes right off the bat. So I’m really excited to see that.“
“This was put together pretty last minute. The guys have put the car together really for the MX-5 Cup, and this is the first time to autocross it. Even for STR, it’s close to where it needs to be. We’re lacking a few parts, but with development the car could be up near the top.”
Kerswill, the reigning C Street Ladies National Champion who spent a lot of time with the car on the test and tune course to fine tune the set-up, agreed – the car is everything that the MX-5 is noted for.
“The engine response is very good and features a lot more torque than previous Miatas,” Kerswill said. “The handling was very stable and rotated well through sweepers and tight corners, alike. The initial setup by Mazda Motorsports was very good on this car.
“The car is well-balanced and handles very nicely. The throttle response is very good and the car feels light. That combination makes the car feel good when trying to push it to the limit. The car has a lot of potential. It’s really one of these vehicles that allows you to use a variety of different skills to go fast.”
Both Grassroots Motorsports and SportsCar will have in depth features on the car in upcoming issues.
2016 Mazda MX-5s will be on display and used as pace cars at the SCCA Runoffs presented by Garmin VIRB next week, Sept. 20-28, at Daytona International Raceway.
More information on the Tire Rack Solo Nationals can be found at SCCA.com.
Image: The C Street-classed Mazda MX-5 caves up the solo course out at the Lincoln Airpark during the Tire Rack SCCA Solo Nationals Presented by Garmin VIRB.
Credit: Perry Bennett
