Flyin' Miata : Open Track Challenge videos

Please choose the clip you want to see.
Note: Most of these clips have been chosen because they're fun to watch. The fast laps are not necessarily the fastest of the day, but typically they're entertaining. While the Dog did pass a number of cars, most of the time was spent circulating with nobody in sight.
A huge thanks goes to Brent Bice, who lent us the camera we used.

Testing: Wheelspin on the dyno. 1.3 MB
Bill runs through the gears on the dyno, full throttle. Wheelspin in first and second gear - yeehah. Watch the burst of exhaust from behind the driver's front wheel on the 1-2 shift.

Testing: 340 hp dyno run. 0.9 MB
A run on the dyno. Not exciting to watch, but it sounds great. This run made about 340 hp and 300 ft/lbs on our 1.8 test motor. Don't mind the mess on the dyno - that's what happens when you're throwing parts into the car in a hurry.

Buttonwillow: Chasing the Datsun. 2.3 MB
At Buttonwillow, chasing the Datsun around in the last session. Watch the red M3 up ahead.

Willow Springs: A fast lap. 8.0 MB
Come along for a fast lap of Willow Springs. Rick Weldon is your tour guide. Don't pay any attention to the malfunctioning tachometer.

Willow Springs: Chasing an M3. 4.8 MB
Rick chases a yellow M3 halfway around Willow. The button he pushes on the steering wheel is for the radio - he's talking to the pits.

Willow Springs: Another M3, only this one's red. 1.2 MB
Running down an M3 on RA-1 tires.

Willow Springs: Chasing a Spec. 1.0 MB
So, is the Track Dog faster than a Spec Miata?

Willow Springs: Horsepower. 0.9 MB
An extra 150 hp or so can make a difference. The Track Dog versus the Gerbils of Fury. The button he pushes on the steering wheel is for the radio - he's talking to the pits

Pahrump: A fast lap. 9.6 MB
Gary Sheehan takes you on a tour of Pahrump.

Pahrump: A close pass. 2.0 MB
That was a close one! Watch the rear view mirror at the beginning of the video.

Pahrump: Losing an engine. 1.4 MB
It's not the most dramatic blown engine, but it did mean a lot of work for us. The sick 2.0 engine gives up on Gary.

Thunderhill [clockwise]. Blocked by a Fiero. A short version of the clip below. 7.8 MB
Horsepower versus handling. The Track Dog didn't have the power to get past the 400-500 hp tube-frame Fiero on the straights, but the Dog was a lot faster in corners. This cost us two fast laps. The Fiero driver said he waved us by - can you see it?

Thunderhill [clockwise]. Half a lap, with some real Fiero problems and a pass of an NSX. 11.3 MB
About half a lap of Thunderhill. Includes some real problems getting past the Fiero.

Vegas. A quick lap. 7.0 MB
A quick lap of the Las Vegas Motor Speedway 1.8 mile course. Gary Sheehan drives.

Vegas. Transmission failure. 2.3 MB
The first transmission failure. 3rd gear lets go, then 5th is gone. Rick Weldon struggles to find a way to bring in the Dog.

2002 videos
Back to the Track Dog.