After Pikes Peak, the Miami Miata had one objective: get the proper shakedown it never got. We still had a laundry list of work to finish. Chief among it was fabricating a flat floor and new splitter after the previous 3D-printed version fractured the mounts at 145 mph down the straight at High Plains Raceway. We also needed to sort out the wheel-speed sensors and ABS module to make sure everything communicated properly with the MK60. The flat floor seemed simple enough: two sheets of Alumalite, some brackets and bracing, and a handful of quick disconnects. The front splitter followed a similar philosophy. Using our previous 3D-printed splitter as a template, we cut the same profile out of Alumalite and reused the 3D-printed ramps from the original design. To mount them flush with the bottom of the splitter, we removed the top layer of plastic from the Alumalite where each ramp would sit. As a placeholder for carbon splitter rods, we experimented with steel cable connected to Professional Awesome’s Splitter Support Mounts. We thought the result would be a stronger version of the aero package we originally intended to run at Pikes Peak. From our previous experience, Alumalite had proven plenty strong for the job. What we hadn't accounted for was just how much load the new aero package would generate. The Miata had never experienced this level of downforce before. As we were about to find out, neither had the splitter. But before any of that could be tested on track, we had another problem to solve: the ABS. With our new Alcon C6 Corvette brake kit, there was no shortage of stopping power. Without a properly functioning ABS system, though, one lockup into a heavy braking zone could send pricey Hoosier slicks straight to the scrap pile. The primary issue was getting a usable wheel-speed signal to our Happy Cactus signal converter. After trying several different hubs, we finally got our hands on a compatible Corvette hub that would communicate properly with the MK60. With that sorted, the Miata was finally ready for the shakedown we'd been trying to give it since Pikes Peak. Or so we thought. With the Miami Miata loaded onto the open trailer (a MUCH easier move for local track days than hauling out the stacker) we headed to Roebling Road Raceway hoping to finally get a few decent laps in. On the second lap, the Miata came down Roebling's front straight nearing 140 mph. If that sounds familiar, it's because we'd been here before. Our previous splitter had failed at almost exactly the same speed at High Plains Raceway. This time, it wasn't the splitter itself that gave up. The steel cable we had used in place of proper splitter rods snapped under load, leaving the new Alumalite splitter dragging its leading edge in front of the car. Two sessions down with no real data collected. We brought the car back into the pits and assessed the damage. With the lunch break coming up, we had just enough time to come up with something that could get us back on track for the next session. We needed a solution that was quick, simple, and, most importantly, wasn't going to break or bend under load. The answer was 1/4-inch aluminum flat bar. We bolted the flat bar between the front bumper and the Professional Awesome splitter support mounts, replacing the failed steel cable with something considerably stronger It wasn't pretty, but it didn't need to be. We just needed it to survive long enough to finally get some laps in. Third lap out. Things were finally feeling better. With the front of the splitter now properly braced, we quickly found another major flaw in the design: the rear aero support system wasn’t up to par. Under load, the rear diffuser tore through the aluminum mounts. So, once again, our track day became a test day. We loaded the Miata back onto the trailer and headed for the shop. (Track days only 25 minutes from the shop are the absolute best.) By the time we got it back, the Alumalite had already begun to crumple under the load from just a few laps. Ultimately, it was becoming clear that the splitter would need to be remade from a different material. But if we wanted to make the second day of the NASA weekend, replacing the entire thing wasn't an option. We had to improve what we already had. We alligator-cut a piece of angle, bent it to match the shape we needed, and welded it together to create a brace between the bumper and splitter. That gave us a much more rigid foundation and allowed us to add additional vertical supports using more aluminum flat bar. It wasn't the permanent solution, but permanent could wait. We had another day at Roebling in the morning. Sunday morning, lug nuts, fuel, and air pressure. Time to test. But no matter how much bracing we added, the splitter support structure simply wasn't up to the task. We couldn't push the car the way we wanted without risking another failure, so outright pace was off the table. Still, we managed to get a few sessions in and put some much-needed seat time on the Miata. No records were set, but that wasn't what we came to Roebling for. We came to test. And testing doesn't always mean finding out what works. Sometimes it's finding out what doesn't. We needed the failed cables. We needed the crumpled Alumalite and the late-night fabrication back at the shop. Every problem exposed another weakness, and every weakness gave us something to improve. The Savannah Sizzler wasn't the shakedown we had hoped for, but it was the one we needed. The splitter will be redesigned, the aero package will continue to evolve, and we'll keep working through the list until the Miami Miata is ready to be pushed the way it was built to be. That's the whole point of development.
