miata power steering

[ldp82]

do yyou guys run with or with out power steering for your track cars? i'm looking into taking mine out and de-powering it.
thanks,
-Luke

[dickita15]

most guys take out the power steering on cars like Miatas that came either way. Remember you have to change to a manual rack to be legal for IT.

[ldp82]

i was de-powering my steering rack but i had some issues. my rack is not at all like the one that Flyin' Miata shows you how to de power.

[Andy Bettencourt]

Remember, as Dick says...the depowering SM allows you to do is not allowed in IT. Luckily, the Miata came with both power racks and non-power racks. Grab a re-manufactured non-power rack and sell off your power rack to someone in SM.

[ldp82]

sorry miss read that, it looks like i will be putting a manual rack in

[jimalley]

OK! I am going to have to claim stupidity, and forgivness fron the IT rule lords, as a new member of the racing community and ITA.

Why wouldn't somthing that is accepable in another class, and non performance enhancing, be allowed on IT?

I have to confess that I ran a Miata in ITA last year and had no idea that my car was illegal!

[Andy Bettencourt]

Well, I am presently on the SMAC and the ITAC. While I try my best to make sure rules are cohesive (like the radiator change last year, etc.), it can't be the end-all be-all. The allowance in SM is simple, the cars are the same and it seemily makes sense.

In IT, the removal of PS is not permitted as we all know (and some hate). Only through update/backdate is is permitted - and in every year the Miata had a manual-rack version available. The only way to 'allow' this for a Miata in IT would be to have a specific spec-line allowance - and that wouldn't be congruent with the rules nor would it be fair to other competitors.

I am sure you are not alone in your legality issues. The IT rules aren't something SM guys are going through with a fine-toothed comb. It's an easy miss. The power rack has an ever-so-slightly quicker ratio. Performance benefit?

[AntonioGG]

Andy, just to clarify, wasn't there an explicit mention somewhere/sometime that you could run SM-prep (even the 1.8 before it was moved to ITA) in ITA? After all...if I want to do some extra races on a regional weekend with my SM...I'm not going to pull-out the restrictor or de-powered PS rack. So the power rack has the quicker ratio (some argue the manual is better, some the de-powered PS rack is better)...but we also have crappy suspension and spec tires. Would anyone care if I ran my car like that? I just want the extra track time.

Sorry if this was just a question about IT Miatas in general and not specific to SM.

[dickita15]

of course no one would care. we often had SMs running in ITA with the wrong wheels untill IT changed the wheel size rule, but IT rules are written for a broad number of cars so even if breaking that rule gains you no advantage in your model we still need to honor the rules.

if a sm guy runs in ITA withthe wrong rack I do not care even though there is a 50 50 chance they will beat me. now if I caught Andy with a PS rack, well that is a different matter.

[Greg Amy]

...wasn't there an explicit mention somewhere/sometime that you could run SM-prep (even the 1.8 before it was moved to ITA) in ITA?[/b]

No.

Would anyone care if I ran my car like that?[/b]

Not likely, but we've had fellow racers stoop to lower levels than that...

[Andy Bettencourt]

Dick and Greg are right on...

It's also not illegal in IT to run your RP!

[AntonioGG]

Thanks guys. I may have been thinking of the explicit mention of SM in the Solo II rules putting SM in DSP even if it doesn't meet all their requirements.

[IPRESS]

AG, No one will give you any trouble in SOWDIV. And you know better then to go up there and mess around(race) with those Yankees! As small as most of the IT fields are the regions will be glad to have you.

[tnord]

Would anyone care if I ran my car like that? I just want the extra track time.
[/b]

1) don't mention it to anyone
2) make sure you aren't competing for the season championship in IT
3) pull in the pits on the last lap

that may be taking it farther than you need to, but for sure nobody with a brain will care if you do that.

[Hotshoe]

AG, No one will give you any trouble in SOWDIV. And you know better then to go up there and mess around(race) with those Yankees! As small as most of the IT fields are the regions will be glad to have you.
[/b]

Shoot,

.... Come on down to the SEDiv. If you drive a Miata at any of the North Carolina Region events you can get away with murder.

.... They allowed a driver to qualify his Miata, and then race a different Miata in the race. Starting in his original starting position of 2nd. instead of last. How was I to know? But the Chief Stewart did. And did not care............... Hard to beat a stacked deck.....But, that's the way it is around here.

.... Rick Thompson

[ddewhurst]

Hmmm, must be they qualify the driver in the SEDiv.