This checklist is part of the Ultimate Spec Miata Handbook, and works well with our Spec Miata Maintenance.
Advice #1 – Don’t race it! (yet): Many people buy a race car (or finish building one) and sign right up for comp school to go racing. I strongly recommend AGAINST this. A competition school is a clinic where advanced drivers are run through a series of drills to make them comfortable in racing (read: driving fast in uncomfortably close quarters). If you are attempting to get comfortable in a brand new car AND get comfortable in race situations, your attention will be split between the two, and you’ll suffer with both.
I work with my local region in our Competition Schools as a mentor and Instructor. Taking the school in an unfamiliar car is the single biggest reason people struggle.
Ideally, before racing any car you’ll do some amount of test/HPDE time before you dive into school/race scenarios. For many, a race car also means their first time towing. Simply getting a couple events under your belt with packing/unpacking and testing the reliability of your tow rig and trailer is going to be very helpful.
Some people gain enough comfort after a single weekend, for others it means a season or two. After years of experience, I made the jump from a lightly modified street Miata to a Spec Miata. With a small (though not insignificant) change, I was confident driving the similar car after a weekend shakedown/learning experience. If I was moving from a HPDE Mustang to a Spec Miata, I’d absolutely want to spend some time learning the car before I compete.
So: You just bought a Spec Miata. You did a reasonable pre-inspection but now it’s in your garage: What should you do before loading up for your first weekend at the track?
There’s a HUGE range in what should and needs to be done. Buying a well known car from a trusted, mechanically competent local racer who assured you it is up to date? You can probably get by without doing all that much. Buy a Spec Miata off eBay from a random seller halfway across the country? You’d be best to go over every detail. You need to balance your budget with your priorities, one can easily drop a new car at a speed shop and land a $20k prep bill. Others have bought a car, put gas in it, and gone racing.
Of course, Your mileage may vary with the advice below. With experience comes an exception to every rule. I talked to one racer who bought a car from a well known and respected driver who even runs at the pointy end of national-level fields. He was told “I set it up for you, it’s perfect, Don’t touch anything”. By their second weekend, they lost a suspension bolt and noticed that most of the suspension was loose. I’ve heard “loose is fast” but I don’t think that’s what it means.
So, read on below: This list is written from the perspective of Spec Miata, but many of these items also relate to other cars as well.
Before your First Track Day:
HOW DO YOU FIT? Get comfortable in the driver’s seat. How well do you fit? Sure it may feel fine for a minute but what if you are in the seat for a half hour? You may need to adjust the seat (Which often means adjusting harnesses and back brace as well). Are you able to get in and out of the car easily with your gear on? Being able to get out of the car easily and quickly is nice for convenience but essential for safety. Get comfortable exiting in under 10 seconds. Do it with your eyes closed, try going out of the passenger side, window, etc. While this will help you pass an exit drill in your comp school, much more importantly they can help you exit a dangerous situation in the rare event of a fire or other issue.
Adjustments to the seat and harnesses are much better to do at home under minimal pressure than trying to get something right before tech inspection or between sessions on track.
HOW DO YOU SEE? Experienced racers (hopefully) understand the visibility requirements of a racecar. Racers require a full 360 vision picture around their car in a way that many HPDE drivers don’t yet understand. Sit in your car and have someone walk behind your car, do you have easy peripheral vision of them the entire time? Are there any blind spots? Consider adding extra mirrors: Large mirrors, curved mirrors, small spot mirrors, etc…Do whatever you can to get a full view around the car with no blind spots.
I stress peripheral vision with mirrors, if you find yourself turning your head to the right to use the factory passenger mirror, you have a problem. That mirror should really only be used for backing up in the paddock. Instead, use an extra mirror pointed in a way to cover the right side of your car while remaining closer to your standard vision out of the car.
Check belt dates/etc: Belt expiration dates are frequently disclosed in for-sale ads, but be sure to check yourself. Inspect fire system dates, window nets, seat, etc. Most items are accepted when “out of date” at HPDE events, but clubs and some tracks are starting to get less forgiving on expired harnesses. Race events are much more strict. Check your organization’s rulebook, and also look to see if they have any regional supplemental rules as well.
Oil: It is pretty clear when oil is fresh, but before long at all, it’s hard to tell if oil is “just turning dark” or is all used up. Unless you are close friends with the seller and know it’s fresh oil, I’d just replace it. I typically dump and replace my oil after two events anyway, so it’s not much of a loss to dump unknown oil.
Fluids: This also falls into the category of “If I know the seller”. While service life intervals vary a ton across the paddock, Torsen differentials can run on basically anything more oily than urine… so if it looks good, it should be fine. Some racers flush transmission fluid multiple times a season, I replace mine annually, so if the car shifts fine perhaps just plan a flush during your first off-season. If Brake fluid’s age is unknown, give the system a flush. Even if you do know the brake fluid status, give the bleeders a crack during your Nut&Bolt check anyway.
Check the coolant. Is it water? Is it antifreeze? Is it a milkshake? These are all things easier to find and fix (if necessary) in your garage vs at the track.
Brakes: This is a large reason I wrote this post: Of all the systems on a race car, brakes are the absolute last one I want to fail.
Don’t be stupid like me- When I bought my Spec Miata, the seller stated my brakes were “fine”. Trusting this stranger, I barely gave them more than a glance before my first day.
After my second session of “these brakes SUCK” I pulled them apart to find the pads in BAD shape. Crumbling pieces, deep cracks, etc. While they had enough meat to satisfy a quick glance, they were clearly not in a position to work safely. Thankfully swapping on a low-stakes track day was nothing, but I wouldn’t want the stress of inspection and replacement during a competition school or between practice and qualifying sessions.
Take yours apart. Inspect the lines, pads, sliders, boots, etc. Worst case scenario you’ve just given them a fresh bleed and lube job, best case scenario you’ve prevented a possible catastrophic failure.
Tuneup: While a general tuneup also falls under the umbrella of “How well did you know the last person who maintained it”, Simple checks like pulling spark plugs and inspecting air filters are a no-brainer.
Timing Belt: On paper, Miata engines are non-interference. However, I’ve been told by a couple sources that if a timing belt breaks when the motor is spinning at or near redline, there’s a pretty significant chance that there will be enough overlap, valve float, or whatever… to have valves smashing into pistons.
Any race-built motor *should have a fresh enough belt for this to be a non-issue, but if you’re buying a car with an untouched street motor and an unknown history, a timing belt replacement isn’t a terrible idea.
When I bought my race engine it had one season on it, and to the seller’s knowledge it was 100% ready to go. However my friend noticed some odd dust on the edges of the timing covers when we were prepping for install. A quick removal of the valve cover showed a timing belt cut/shaved more than halfway down, the dust we saw was worn-off belt material. Apparently, some “upgraded” crank pulley bolts were too long and were rubbing, shaving down the timing belt as the motor ran. Who knows how long it would have gone with such a “lightweight” timing belt, I’m glad I didn’t find out.
Alignment: Whenever you get a new car, no matter what, you should at least check the toe. Hell, even if you’re borrowing someone’s car for a session, checking is a good idea (My friends will know why I say this). Toe plates are a basic necessary tool for anyone who tracks a car, so you should have them.
A simple, 1 minute check with Toe plates can tell you if the car will try to kill you in your first corner. However, if you want to drive fast, a full alignment (especially corner-weighted for you) is a nice place to start. In a spec class like Spec Miata, the alignment is one of the few things on the car we have full control over.
Full Disclosure: I am incredibly lazy with my alignment (which infuriates my competitors), I won a season championship on a two year old alignment with minimal tweaks via toe plates. But, to at least make sure you have a solid starting point is a very good idea.
Hubs & Bearings: Hubs and wheel bearing failures are a huge talking point in the world of Miatas. In a tracked (and certainly raced) Miata, the fronts require constant attention. Any time my car is in the air, I grab each wheel and feel for play. Not only should you inspect these before you take your car on track, you should pack spares and inspect them regularly.
Beyond the bearings, Some hubs also have issues with cracking and breaking. These I give a quick visual inspection to: When the car is in the air, you can see the back of the hubs even with the wheels on (removed dust shields help with seeing). Give a quick spin and look for cracks.
There are aftermarket upgrades, but they are all very expensive (A common reply is “they’re less expensive than a crash, but with the price of some… not by much). Mazda Motorsports does sell a nice set that is the only Spec Miata legal option but they are still not cheap.
Rear hubs and bearings don’t fail with anywhere near the same frequency as fronts, but they are not immune, so are still very much worth a regular inspection and shake. The bearings typically hold up fine unless crashed, the hub faces ocasionally crack on their own.
Nut & Bolt – The Catch-all (hopefully): The #2 reason I wrote this post is to encourage everyone to Nut & Bolt check their new cars. That means spending an afternoon or evening inspecting every corner of your car. Checking for loose or missing bolts all over. On a new-to-you car, expand that inspection to include cracks or visible bends on anything. Check wiring for worn insulation, loose connections, etc. Give special attention to battery wiring and other items that have been modified in the car’s conversion to a race car…. A failing terminal crimp or loose terminal can be a major headache.
I learned I had a loose battery my first session on track when it fell completely out of its mounts.
A friend’s new Spec Miata had a very curious failure during his first race weekend: The front sway bar mount bracket snapped, while forums say it happens on autocross cars, it’s not a very common Spec Miata failure. It wasn’t until after that weekend that he discovered the bracket’s inner-frame rail bolts were missing, quickly popping the one factory spot weld and letting the bracket twist and eventually fail.
Multiple other friends have had hardware fall off important suspension components. One had a lower balljoint bolt fall out, another a control arm to spindle connection.
A thorough inspection could have caught all these issues.
Want to go above and beyond after checking all your nuts and bolts? There are many products on the market to leave marks on the bolts to be sure they aren’t coming loose. I got a bottle of Viz-Torque (Affiliate link) and mark anything I tighten.
*Be careful when checking lower control arm to subframe bolts, these eccentrics set alignment, don’t move them as you check.
Before you go to the track: Bring some frequent spares and start building a stockpile of frequent failure points/maintenance items. Our Spec Miata paddock is often very happy to loan spare parts (And even help install) to keep you on-track through a weekend, but they do get less generous with repeat-offenders.
I go in-depth on what spares to bring here:
Visual items and required decals: Check your rulebook and available contingencies. If you are moving from HPDE to competition, you may need to pick a permanent number, which often means picking a new one that isn’t already claimed. Size and placement of numbers and class designations is an important thing to know. Just because a car has raced in the past does not necessarily mean it’s compliant. Expect to get numbers and class designations on all 4 sides.
Look at available contingencies, register if needed, and get those stickers on (in the correct places, if required). Contingency prizes are free money, and even if you don’t expect to run near the front right away… you never know what can happen (not to mention some prizes that pay for top finishes but also pay for others farther down the order)
Remove old, outdated, unnecessary stickers. I, for one, prefer a somewhat clean simple racecar. Every sticker on my car is there for a specific reason with no “freeloaders”.
Many clubs do not like stickers of competing organizations, so either remove old sanctioning body decals or cover them (with tape or magnets) when running with different clubs.
That’s what I’ve got. If you have any specific advice or think I missed some big items, leave a comment and let me know. If you have just purchased your own Spec Miata, welcome! Good luck, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions.
