Miata Mailing List: May 1993, Message #48
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   From: (none)
Subject: Need 4 Speed
   Date: (none)

Hello,
Thought I'd share a seemingly well-kept secret regarding high-speed track 
events for those folks within striking distance of the Washington DC area.  
Summit Point Raceway has two opportunities for folks to get out on the track 
and thrash your Miatas (or whatever).  One is called FATT (Friday at the Track)
, the other is Seat Time.  I've attended several of each and found them highly 
enjoyable.  They both cost $95 for one day of track time.  Cars are divided 
into run groups according to speed and (sometimes) driver capability.  FATT 
has in-car instructors, classroom sessions, skidpad and threshold braking 
exercises for those who want/need it.  Seat Time is basically just an open 
track for people who know the course, with some reasonable passing rules.  
Both events have corner workers, a wrecker, and an ambulance (sp?) on duty at 
all times.  Seat Time also allows full blown race cars, but they are generally 
in a separate group from street cars, though not always (wait until you see a 
formula continental pull up behind you in your rear view mirror).  I've yet to 
see another Miata out there.  You do need some kind of roll bar and a helmet, 
though.

To give you an idea of what to expect, I most recently went to Seat Time on 
April 30 and got 8 (eight!) half-hour runs on the track.  I used up two full 
tanks of gas.  I was out there among the 930 turbos and ZR-1 Vettes, but so 
what?  It was a blast.  At last Friday's FATT, I got in five half-hour runs.  
Anyway, it's great fun.  You'll never really appreciate how good a car the 
Miata is until you get it out on a track and really start to crank it.  Not 
knowing what I was driving, a guy driving a tricked out 911 came up to me 
after our second run and said "I thought I was doing pretty well out there 
until I was passed by a Miata, of all things!"  You should have seen his face 
when I told him it was me.  Anyway, the Miata is so easy to drive fast, it can 
easily make mincemeat out of less-than expertly driven exotic machinery.  One 
of my fondest memories happened last Fall passing a Testarossa coming out of 
turn 10.  I should say that the car is dead stock except for A008RS tires and 
the Track Bar (discussed in Miata Club magazine).

Well, I know this isn't real racing, and I'm not a real racer (yet), but there 
is another dimension to the Miata which isn't apparent until you're sliding it 
sideways through the Carousel with its nose pressed firmly on the rear end of 
a hapless Carrera.  Let's see some more Miatas out there!  This is serious  
fun!

For those of you who are interested, the phone number out at Summit Point is 
304-725-6512.
-Al