Matt Andrews, Nitto Tires MX-5 at Redline Time Attack Final 2009

Matt Andrews and Fair Enough Competition in the NItto Tires Mazda MX-5 clinch the 2009 Redline Time Attack Mod-RWD championship. Back to back titles in 2008/2009.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• NSFabrication
• Nitto
• AMB Aero Design
• AMB Motorsport Engineering
• Wiseco
• ROBISpec
• Boost Logic
• APR Performance
• NT01
• NT-01

[eeeen321]

Are there any plans for that Eclipse in 2010??

Maybe the switch to a fwd coupe!...... I am sure there was a ton of chassis rigidity gained from mods done to the car in preparation for timeattck; but no matter what is done to the convertible, the same chassis strengthening mods could have been equally been done to a coupe.

I understand the fwd dsm time attack car, i really do... that makes sense...

But the convertible TA doesnt make sense to me, it must just be a personal thing with the owner.

[eeeen321]

AWESOME video, insanely capable car.

can't wait for RLTA to post all the pics and vids from the finals; so many killer ta cars.

from what I heard so far, AMS's tax sounded unreal, 188mph on the strait!

AND there was a speed world challenge 6 there! do you know if it ran in SWC form?

but man, i have been missing that Eclipse GST for basically the entire season!

where did that nutty convertible time attack dsm go????

that thing was EATING street class...

congrats on RWD-MOD championship

[andrewbrilliant]

The external roof should be considered throw away at this level. It contributes such a small amount to chassis rigidity its purpose would be null if we even had one. In terms of strenght to weight its far inferior to a roll cage structure. The rules do not allow composite material replacement roofs on hard tops unless it was a factory option. Convertible is an advantage in time attack rules, not a disadvantage. The only remaining issue to be overcome is aerodynamics. We are still ahead.

[andrewbrilliant]

Yes, correct we have much more we can do in terms of chassis, however its still way in excess of rigidity a hard top car with a standard cage. The cage is designed to assume that no other roof structure is present, correct. The idea is for the external roof to be absolutely light and not structural. This allows better mass centralization.

Now there is specially designed tubular roof structure underneath the hard top that ties into factory convertible reinforcements.

[eeeen321]

So the desired chassis rigidity has not yet been achieved??? and the car was still destroying street class...... but the cage that has been installed is designed for a convert, not a hard top.

excuse the ignorance, but where does the convert cage differ from a hard top cage?

so there is some form of solid unit under the soft top as of now? before the composite roof is complete????

by "ST class" i meant street class, my bad.

i hope a budget is formed for that eclipse, it deserves it....

[andrewbrilliant]

The composite roof is not yet built.  The roof structure is under the soft top. I have no idea about ST class, but in mod and street they can have a custom roof.

[eeeen321]

All that would make sense to me if I had seen a video or picture of that eclipse with a custom composite roof.

I could have missed it, but every time I have seen that eclipse, in top speed & time attack mode, it is rocking the soft canvas top.

Did I miss the custom roof? or overlook it under a "faux canvas" top??

I sware I thought it was a soft top with a cage...

So rule wise, street class verts can have a custom roof, ST-class coupe roof is no go?

where does the cage differ from a hardtop?

[andrewbrilliant]

Factory roofs are designed with many factors in mind, downforce is low on the list. Rules wise you can use an any aftermarket roof available to the general public. That means I can design my own as long as its for sale to everyone when I'm finished. Properly done composite parts are lighter and stronger than steel.

[andrewbrilliant]

Convertible chassis is more heavily reinforced than a hard top chassis. This is because it has no roof. add a structural roof thats more rigid and ligther than a factory roof and you now have a stronger than hard top chassis. Vert is heavier, this is because of those reinforcements. Canvas is lighter than steel. If you build a cage for a vert like you do for a hard top your losing. If you build a cage to leverage the factory reinforcements, your stronger. We measured the flex.

[eeeen321]

What is it about the convertible that allows for a unique chassis or cage mod to be done to it that can't be done equally to a coupe?

I would have thought the convertible was heavier than the coupe and that anything that could be done to the convertible, could be done to the coupe.

My bad, where does this difference come from?

Rule-wise or Physics-wise?

Why would a streetable-type cage on a hard top not provide the same rigidity as an equal prepped convertible?

Or am i missing the point? lol

[andrewbrilliant]

Also, the way the aero rules are written, only convertibles can have a custom roof shape in an aftermarket hard top.

[andrewbrilliant]

As of now there are no plans. The car needs a gearbox to compete next season, thats the only part it must have to compete. It will likely need further development, however and there is no budget for next year as of now.