Pulling Less Power – New test equipment uncovers excess horsepower loss in power steering...
We’d all like to enjoy the benefits of power steering, but with none of the weight or horsepower draw, right? Since that’s not possible,...
Heart of the Matter: Installing an Engine in a Spec MX-5
The third-generation Miata, the NC, has an unfortunate reputation. Seen as the only chubby member of an athletic family, it bears a heavy load....
Flow Testing and Machining Spec Miata Cylinder Heads
Everyone in Spec Miata knows that the 2015 rule set underwent some changes in the offseason. The rule changes themselves weren’t major, but the...
Waking Up The Wagon
This wagon kind of fell into my lap. My wife was out walking our dogs one morning, and this 2012 Audi A4 S Line...
Engine Cooling: A Balancing Act
In racing, the prevailing wisdom for enhancing a car’s cooling system was simple. The more rows you can put in a radiator, the better....
Increasing Octane – Getting the right octane rating for your track car
A lot of NASA HPDE drivers drive their cars to and from the track, and of those, there’s probably a decent amount who change...
Leaning the Mixture – Installing an adjustable fuel pressure regulator and an air-fuel ratio...
Horsepower doesn’t come cheaply or easily in Spec Miata. Sometimes it doesn’t come at all. First, the engines are tiny, measuring either 1.6 or...
The Art of Scavenging – Myths and methods of getting burned gases out of...
For the longest time, the prevailing wisdom in the paddock with regard to exhaust was the bigger the pipe, the better. Bigger pipes let...
The Science of Spark Plug Wires
Back in the day, when a guy rumbled up to the drive-in and popped his hood for onlookers to gawk at his engine, one...
Rocket Science – Achieving Better Engine Cooling With Proper Aerodynamic Principles
Keeping a C5 Corvette cool on a racetrack in 100-degree heat isn’t easy. Just ask NASA Utah’s George Smith, who had been trying different...
RACE COVERAGE
