Mazdaspeed Spec Miata Engine Rules Memo

[ChrisS]

Seems everyone is watching this one closely!  Does seem a little blown out of proportion though...

Chris

Mazda Motorsports addresses the recent controversy regarding engine head modifications in Spec Miata at the SCCA Runoffs; will work with sanctioning bodies to make sure rules are understood and enforceable.



To:              The Spec Miata Community
From:         Mazda Motorsports, Mazda North American Operations
Re:             Spec Miata engine rules

Over the past ten years, Spec Miata grew from a racer idea to a nationwide phenomenon.  The rules were created by racers, for racers.  The team here at Mazda Motorsports has been thrilled to be a part of it and watch it grow from a small regional class to the single largest race in the 51 years of the SCCA National Championship Runoffs.  In addition to the large SCCA and NASA fields, Spec Miata has been embraced by tracks like the Autobahn County Club, and multiple regional clubs across the U.S. and Canada; it is some of the greatest road racing today.

At times we have contemplated stepping in as it related to rules, but we have opted to stay out of the regulatory side of the sport.  Recent circumstances are such that we will be working much closer with all parties: racers, teams, engine builders, and sanctioning bodies to ensure what has grown over the past decade continues to be the strongest class of road racing in North America.

For those who have not heard the details of what happened last week at the SCCA Runoffs in at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, it involved the interpretation of what was, and was not legal regarding head modifications.  Nine cars were protested, impounded after the race, and deemed non-compliant by the SCCA Technical Inspectors.  The Mazda team was not involved in the review process, although the SCCA kept us informed as to its findings.

We want all racers to have the maximum opportunity to showcase their talents in one of the deepest talent pools in all of road racing.  We also want to keep costs to a minimum such that racers can compete more often.

What Mazda will do:
• Work with all sanctioning bodies to develop systems to make rules more easily enforceable.
• Listen to all of our stakeholders to better understand all the perspectives.
• Find answers to these questions.
• Collaborate with the SCCA in making the right short-term and long-term decisions to this challenge.

What Mazda would like our racers to do:
• Direct constructive input to Support@MazdaMotorsports.com or 1 (800) 435-2508.
• Have confidence that Mazda is working with the needs of our customers as the #1 priority.

We appreciate everyone being patient and working together here.  We all share the common goal of maintaining the best, most affordable, racing in North America.

Thank you,

Your Mazda Family
- See more at: http://www.mazdamotorsports.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/DisplayRacerStoryView?source=STORY&uniqueId=2771&storeId=10001&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&button=y#sthash.iEwIyLyJ.dpuf

[Doug Campbell]

Would not like to see Spec Miata starting down this path of allowing head modifications that obviously increase engine performance. Stock should be stock, keeps the costs and complexity down.

[GTcalgary]

It sounds like Mazda is going to use their engineering department to determine any actual benefits and help the SCCA tighten up the rules.

"In our effort to continue our open communication with our customers, I wanted to provide you with an update on the investigation into the Spec Miata rules infraction that was identified during the most recent SCCA Runoffs.  All of your e-mails, phone calls, thoughts and input we have received have been very valuable and appreciated. As you know, the SCCA's board of directors meets on Friday, October 31 to discuss the next steps.  In preparation for this meeting, and as partners, Mazda and the SCCA have been working very closely.

Our first step has been to gather as much information as possible on what transpired at the SCCA Runoffs.  The next step has been to understand the state of the current environment. We've been listening to varying interpretations of the rule in question; what it states; what it should have stated; what it should state in the future, if anything different; and why. We are fortunate to have many experts within the Mazda family and within the SCCA family who have helped in all of these discussions.

In an effort to perform our due diligence, we have formed a team of industry experts including Mazda technical staff to travel this week to Topeka, Kansas where the cylinder heads that did not pass technical inspection at the Runoffs are being stored. This team of unbiased, industry experts will inspect the cylinder heads to gain a clear understanding of the work performed on them to deduce the functionality, performance benefits, and reason behind it. We are confident that this comprehensive understanding coupled with all the information we have gathered thus far will help the SCCA's board of directors make the best and right decision for the class, our customers.

Thank you for your support in us,

John Doonan

Director, Mazda Motorsports"

[ChrisS]

Would not like to see Spec Miata starting down this path of allowing head modifications that obviously increase engine performance. Stock should be stock, keeps the costs and complexity down.

The challenge is that not all stock parts are created equal.  If you say no modifications whatsoever, then people will go down the even more expensive and exclusive route of parts bin optimizing everything.  The original intent of the rules in question was to allow a simple modification that makes the good and bad heads more equal.

Chris

[10cc]

Having run in a spec class for many, many eons, we have always tried to live by the "stock is stock" rule. Once you begin to allow any modifications whatsoever, you are moving into grey areas open to interpretation. Stock means stock.

We allow streetporting in our cars, and that has always been the biggest point of contention, as one guy's interpretation of a streetport is different from another, one streetport may be bigger than another, and in our case bigger is not always better, so it get's complicated.

Stock means stock, and finding a few thousandths of a second in modifications are easily made up on the track by better driving. The whole point of a spec class is to take away the car advantage and put the onus on the driver.

[Al36rx7]

FYI:  The parts bin search has been going on for many years in the IT classes where stock means stock as well.  Some folks in the US with deep pockets have been known to have 3 or 4 engines built to max of an IT rebuild, then dyno. And then decide what engine gets installed in the car and which one is kept as a spare.  The rest are sold off.  Sounds awful expensive to me, but some folks will go to very expensive extremes to get a $5 trophy.

[GTcalgary]

We dont get much choice of parts in Canada anyways. Much better odds of the cars being plain jane up here. Did anyone notice the NASA Championships winner was in an NA miata?

[GTcalgary]

Interesting article on Spec Miata cylinder head flow testing and machining. March NASA magazine, Pg46

Speed News Magazine - NASA - March 2015 www.speednewsmag.com/Mar2015.html