PA Hillclimb

I have a 1990 Mazda Miata with a Ford 302 transplant. The car was originally build to compete in the 2003 GrassRoots MotorSports Challenge, which it won.

Here is a link to a photo album of the car: http://s31.photobucket.com/user/w650gb5 ... t=6&page=1

Here is an article about the car: https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/artic ... rts-miata/.

- Stock Miata chassis and suspension a-arms.
- Koni coil-overs.
- Nascar "style" swaybays front and rear.
- Ford 8.8 rear with an Eaton locker.
- 302 Ford motor with a custom FI system.
- T-5 5-speed transmission.
- NHRA approved rollbar with SCCA compliant diagonal.
- 15x9 wheels with 275/35-15 Hoosier R-6 tires.
- Ultra-Shield aluminum seat
- The car runs with no soft or hard top.
-Llicensed and titled here in PA and I do go and play on the streets with it. It's severely traction limited but ALOT of fun to drive with the throttle. Not the fastest, but quite fun being loud and obnoxious.

I do not care where the car is classified, whether its Specials 3, SPO or SM_????? Just looking to come back and run a few hills after 20 years away.

The car will not be legal to run in the PHA without a full cage with the current rules.

You can go run the Chasing the Dragon hillclimb in NC in street unlimited if you want tho. Good luck!

Does it have a full cage? You said roll bar but looking closer it might be caged? (The mag article shows it cages but your pics seem to show a roll bar?) It won't fit into SM but either way specials will work. ITE could have been a class for it but there is some conflict in regards to that class.

Because the car was used as a street car, the previous owner removed the poorly designed forward portion of the original cage and as it currently sits, retains just a rollbar. I won't run a Miata with a rollcage on the street for fear of hitting one of the bars in the event of an accident. I've been told for years that I have a "hard head", but its still no match for 1.50" x 0.120 DOM tubing!

Dan Jr

Bringing this question back up. Now that the car is “caged”, where will it be classified? I’m not familiar with the current class rules, but it’s a Miata with an engine swap.

SM, SMX, SPO, S3 ???

Street legal, inspected here in PA, insured and runs on DOT tires. The cage is SCCA & NASA legal being made of 1-1/2”x0.125” DOM tubing.

Thanks,

Dan

Dan,
This car appears to fit the fairly new class of SMX. It is basically for street cars that have a non-manufacturer engine swap. Here's the PHA supps:

Street Mod Extreme (SMX)
The intent of this class is to allow production vehicles modified beyond the boundaries of the Street Modified and Improved Touring classes while still retaining street / production car characteristics.
ELIGIBLE VEHICLES
All 2 and 4 seat production vehicles.
Front, rear and all wheel drive configurations are allowed.
Pick-up trucks are allowed.
Kit cars, purpose-built race cars and specialty constructed vehicles are not allowed.
Please refer to the PHA Time Trials Supplemental Rules for details

SMX is where I figured the car would fit best since its still street legal and runs on DOT tires. All of the other possible classes are for “real race cars”, not a swapped street car. It’s all just for fun. I’ll drive it to an event, run it and hopefully drive it back home.

Thanks and see you guys at the first event,

Dan