Three years ago, as Demaras Racing prepared to enter road racing in the F1200 series, the decision was made to acquire a ‘track car’ and Miata was the answer. Inexpensive, well-balanced and low-HP made the 1999 Mazda Miata the ideal vehicle to learn how to race. The sticky tires and coil-overs made for a great, entry-level track car.
Fast forward two years, and the No. 16 MagiSeal Miata was born. A custom livery to match the F1200 car Daniel raced, the Miata was driven in OTA Time Attack, used for CASC Race Licensing, participated in HPDE track days with 6th Gear and DriveTeq, and even competed in ‘King of the Hill‘ at Sunset Speedway.
This year has been quieter for the Miata. We left OTA and joined CSCS instead, but have only brought the F1200 car to the time attack competitions. With the SVX and WRX in proper working order, there’s one too many summer cars in the driveway. Nobody even picks up the keys to the rough-riding Miata.
Then back in July, the Miata Canada Cup ran at the BARC Touring Trophy race; same event the F1200s competed in. Obviously in different categories, but this provided us with our first chance to see these pocket-rockets raced in anger for the first time.
Just this year, the CASC launched the Miata Canada Cup as an affordable motorsport category, similar to the SCCA’s Spec Miata series in the US. The series features nearly identical Mazda Miata’s creating a level playing field, meaning driver skill and not big power determines the winner.
The field is broken into two distinct classes. MCC1 for cars manufactured from 1990 to 2005 (NA & NB) and MCC2 for cars manufactured from 2006 to 2015 (NC). There were 24 cars on the grid at Mosport, making it one of the largest races of the weekend.
We sat in the air-conditioned comfort of our GMC pickup truck and watched the Miatas until it was time for the F1200s to head back out on track. It really was a sight to see so many nearly identical cars fighting it out. Lap times differed by up to 10 seconds from drivers at the front to the back of the pack, but there were battles throughout the field
Parked along the pit straight was another race fan, sitting in his early 2000s Miata with gleaming silver paint. Daniel stared at the car for a while then commented “How sad it is for that Miata to have to sit there parked while all the other cars have fun on track.”
The young man had a good point.
To think that at home in the driveway is our Miata, almost race ready, but not getting to go have fun on track like the racing gods intended. With a little modification, the No. 16 MagiSeal Miata could be a fierce competitor in the 2025 Miata Canada Cup. For many aspiring racers it would be a dream come true to have their own competitive race car. And we’re just letting it sit in the driveway.
The plan was to sell the Miata, and use the funds to continue F1200 racing for another season. We even removed some of the decals on the side of the street-legal race car to appeal to more potential buyers. So, either the Miata gets sold to someone who’s actually going to take it to the track and race it …or we may just have to enter it in the Mazda Canada Cup next year.
~ by Chris #16 Demaras ~
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