"Preaching to the Converted"

A couple of things go through your mind as you go spearing off the track in a race car that's not yours. First and foremost is "am I going to hit anything?". This is quickly followed by "How did I manage this?" In the interests of context (and storytelling) I will answer the last question last, and the first question last. 

It was a sunny, busy day at the track when I arrived at Garry Wilmington's new Marulan Driver Training Centre. There was a track session in full swing and I quickly noticed the variety of metal out on the track. But amongst the big ticket Euro exotics, XR8 utes, Lotus and Mini race cars were two Mazda's. The little Roadsters appeared quite standard, but they were punching well above their collective weight, weaving around the more powerful traffic like tie fighters. Only, without that cool howling noise.

It was these third generation 'NC' MX5s that I was here to learn more about. They belonged to MX5 Racing, an MX5 race car builder and loan company. MX5 Racing's owner and chief operator is Chris Gough, and I was not surprised to learn he was one of the drivers I had been watching out on the circuit. I quickly spotted two other NC's under the awning adjacent to the carpark, and i wandered over to investigate. 

Shortly thereafter, the white NC drove up, having completed the session, and Chris literally sprung from the driver's seat, announcing to everyone present "a forty four one! Garry said that's the quickest lap of the track so far!" Even on a circuit as new as this one, a lap record was not to be scoffed at, particularly in light of the company these cars had out on the track. It wasn't just my impression, these cars really were quick. I had to know more about the builder, and more importantly, more about what seperated them from my own, daily driven, Mazda MX5 NC.

Chris is very enthusiastic when talking about cars or racing. You quickly learn that he has a passion for grass-roots motorsport and production car racing, and that his experience with prodution cars extends well beyond MX5's. 
"We've got a RAWS Registered Authorised Workshop that's part of the RAWS scheme, so we import Evo 7's, Evo 8's, R34 Skylines and another couple of cars we're working on at the moment. We've been doing that for years."

For Chris, this all began at the beginning of then new REVS scheme for low volume imports.
"In 1989, as you know, they introduced the 32 series Skylines, the first of the half decent Celsiors, Lexus, you had the MX5's, Turbo MR2s, ST185s and all that sort of stuff, it was a big year in Japan. So when they all become eligible, when we knew they were coming up, we had our guy in Japan and we said this is a list of all the cars that will become eligible as of the the first of January next year, go buying them. So we started buying about 12 months before they were eligible and we had them all in storage....we had cars everywhere! We'd do all the stuff on them to get them ready, and bang they were going out hand over fist."

With all of these imports in his father's backyard, Chris was able to sample all the best Japan had to offer in the halycon days of the ninties turbo-era. But there was one car that made a bigger impression on Chris than many of it's larger, boosted compatriots.

"There was a trackday... We had twelve MX5's lined up out the front and we said bugger it, let's go down to Eastern Creek for a trackday.....we'll take one of the Mazdas they look like a bit of fun. There was one there that had a bolt in roll cage, and another one had a real old set of R spec tires on it. So we thought we'll put those on that one there, check the fluids, and off we went to Eastern Creek."

After driving this Fresh Off the Boat Roadster on it's limiter for a full day around Eastern Creek, and than back to their workshop, Chris was clearly taken by the little Mazda's combination of fun, chassis dynamics and seemingly bullet-proof reliability. And, with up to 12 MX5's being imported and complied at any one time, they had a smorgasboard of Roadsters and parts to choose from.

"So then of course we found one and it had TEINS, so we'd take the TEINS out, put it in this one, and then of course it started from there."

This continued as Chris began importing more recent models utilising his CAMS licence to bring the cars in as race-only imports. They raced the first generation 'NA' 1.6 and 1.8 litre MX5's, than the second generation 'NB', including the factory turbocharged NB, known as the SE, which was released in Japan in 2005. MX5 Racing imported it's first third generation MX5, the 2 litre NC, for racing purposes in December 2007.

"We went to Oran Park and we thought, bugger it we'll take them down....We put a set of sticky tires on them, Dunlop tires that's all, down there we went. And in bog standard cars we were doing 24's, one minute 24's on the GP circuit."

Chris remarks on how the MX5 Racing crew, now all seasoned MX5 drivers, we're all very tight lipped about their impressions of the NC at the end of each session. "No one would say it....and I said well, i'm gonna say it. It is the best MX5 out of the box i've ever driven. They all went Oh thank god for that, because we were all thinking the same thing."

With all this high praise, it was time to take a look at the four NC MX5's Chris had bought to MDTC. Two of the cars were what Chris would consider standard or 'regularity' cars, and two were their most developed race cars.

Being cars for race use only, all of MX5 Racing's NC's are stripped of their folding roof and seats and much of their trim, and fitted with a full roll cage and racing buckets and harnesses. Chris estimates that this results in around 100 kilograms of weight reduction. All fluids are changed for improved reliability. "We always change to racing fluid... synthetic oil in the engine... Elf oil in the gearbox and the diff as well, because they get very very hot."

This is where the changes finish for Chris' standard cars. One of which was a galaxy grey NC basically identical to my own. Apart from the R Spec tires and roll cage, this grey NC was basically as it came from the factory. "These ones, once you change the fluid its good, but the brakes they do suffer a little bit with standard pads in them."

I promptly gathered my helmet, and got myself strapped into the grey car. I was eager to see just how great the changes might be over my roadgoing NC. I lined up with the 'B' group, which included an XR8 ute from the Superutes race series, and some prod sports cars out for a shakedown. 

Having already lapped MDTC in my own car, foremost in my mind was the pasting i was likely to get from some of the other cars in my group. However, half a lap later, i was dialled in, and hugely impressed with this 'standard' NC. It was a revelation - everything i loved about the dynamics of my own car, but all turned up to ELEVEN! Immediately, the R-Spec tires inspire greater confidence, and i'm braking later, and turning in with more aggression. But it was the diet this car had seen which was truly pervasive, as I soon became aware that it's impact can truly be felt everywhere - acceleration, braking, direction changes, everything was just quicker than my own car. The whole package is just so forgiving of even a really hamfisted driver such as myself. Despite the lack of a stopwatch, it was immediately apparent that i was lapping more quickly, with a few of the bigger hitters in my group having to relenquish their position for the feisty little roadster. With the session over all too quickly, i was eager to get back out on track in the white 'race' car.

MX5 Racing's white NC is their most developed race NC to date. That being said, it does not take it's development much beyond their regularity cars. In addition to the roll cage, seats, R spec tires and fluids, this car has the addition of a rear sway bar, TEIN coilovers, Hawk Blue brake pads, a higher flowing exhaust... and a locked diff.

I quickly get myself set up in the white car, and join the lineup for my spot on the track. An Evo and a brutish looking HSV are immediately behind me in the group, and already i'm starting to wonder just how much gap i can put between myself and these more powerful cars. Afterall, thanks to it's exhaust and better brakes, this car will certainly be quicker than the grey NC i've just driven.

The marshall waves my out and i step on the throttle. The white NC responds with a healthy bark and a more noticeable lunge and I charge down to the double braking point at turn 2. Cautiously, I use a little more track to setup my entry, and than stand on the throttle as i point the car up the hill.... and immediately start dialling in opposite lock as the rear of the car steps across the track. The locked diff has caught my completely by surprise, and i suddenly realise that this car is much, much more of a handful than i had expected it to be. By the end of the second lap, the HSV and Mitsubishi Evo are practically breathing down my neck. I let them past, and set about coming to grips with this car.

It's hugely entertaining driving a car that is so readily driven on the throttle, but on the tight twisty Marulan circuit, i have to concentrate a great deal on all of my steering and throttle inputs. It is strange to be strapped into a seemingly familiar vehicle which requires a considerably different approach in order to be driven quickly. The semi slick tires are also proving a little difficult to read, and i'm working hard to find where that ragged edge of adhesion is, so i can maximize the throttle on corner exit without upsetting the cars balance. Stepping into oversteer is laugh out loud fun in this car, but it's not fast. "Less shenanigans and more pace" I tell myself.

Later on, I would be discussing what occured next with Zane, MX5 Racing's race driver. Zane has raced in many series, including formula V, and is quick to identify that my driving style in the white NC, as i adjusted to the locked diff, resulted in the rear tires heating up more quickly than the fronts. 

As a result, I am about 8 laps into the session when i run out of skills, and grip in the front tires, as i turn right into turn three. Suddenly, there's nothing left in the front end, and I'm understeering towards the edge of the track. I stand hard on the anchors, and find grip a little too late, putting one front wheel up over the curb and onto the dirt. A nice thud is heard from the front end of the car as it straddles the curb, but by this stage I'm now facing up the hill, and i ease the car back onto the track. A quick check in the rearview for traffic, fluid loss, or any pieces of car... it all looks and feels ok. Discretion being the better part of valour, i quickly find the pit lane and bring the NC into the garages. "How was it?" asks Chris? "I had a bit of a moment."

We inspect under the front of the car, and much to my relief, it's all OK. My experience has highlighted one of the lessons these cars are able to teach.
"You get people that are used to driving more powerful, rear wheel drive cars, and they'll never ever enjoy driving an mx5 to start with, because they are used to coming like turbo 4wds or whatever, they come into the corner at full song, trail brak the thing through the corner, get it through and then nail it and scream up the hill, well the mazda will never do it. At Wakefield Park, you turn into most of the corners and your flat to the boards before your actually get anywhere near the apex."

These NC's, particularly the more standard cars, are also a fantastic platform with which to compare different drivers. "Drivers can compare in the same vehicle. So, to all those guys who say 'i am the best driver' well we can say 'right-o boys, lets prove it'."

By the end of the day, i had taken my own NC, MX5 Racing's 'basic' grey NC, and their white 'race' NC around the hot, busy MDTC circuit. The differences between the three cars were truly far greater than i had expected them to be. Through compartively small changes by race car standards, Chris and his team have achieved their goal of making affordable, flexible and quick cars suitable for a variety of drivers.

It need not matter what experience you may have, what cars you have driven - there is a Roadster in MX5 Racing's garage to suit anyone. Even an MX5 fanboy such as myself has much to learn from these little cars. Afterall, the craft of driving is not a pursuit that can be learnt in just one vehicle. A car doesnt understeer or oversteer by itself, it takes a driver to make it do these things. MX5 Racing have a Roadster that will have you rethinking your driving style in no time, and isn't this what it's all about?

 Matt Wilmot