Kenny and Toby were at the third annual Mazda Rev It Up / Zoom-Zoom Live. The highlight of the event was the national autocross competition.  The giant FedEx field parking lot was converted into a sea of cones with thousands of competitors.  Instead of the Mazda 3 and Mazda 6 in previous years (no slouch but still…) this year’s competition featured the brand spanking new … Continue reading Mazda Zoom Zoom Live

Toby was bitten by the track bug and found the Civic’s 100mph “top speed” a little limiting, so the search began… The decision criteria was short: 1) A Convertible; 2) Good for Autocross; 3) Good for Track Days and 4) Not another Miata 🙂 Comfort and practicality didn’t make it on the list. So the search was narrowed down to four car: BMW Z3, Honda … Continue reading New Boxster; First Autocross and Track Day

After a few years of autocrossing, it didn’t take much urging for Kenny and Toby to want to try out track day. Their first event was with the Delaware Valley Mazda Club at Pocono Raceway.  Pocono was a big track that featured the longest straight among NASCAR ovals.  The Miata and the Civic were severely under-powered but that didn’t dampen their enthusiasm! Kenny and Toby … Continue reading Toby and Kenny Slid off the Slippery Slope

Kenny decided to spent his summer vacation visiting his parents in Montreal. For a thrifty student who owned a fun car, what better way to travel than to drive? As always, summer in Montreal was perfect for a roadster.  Even Dad took the wheel for a nice drive.  He had not driven a stick shift for a over 10 years, but immediately picked back up … Continue reading Miata road trip to Montreal

Kenny and Toby joined with their friends from Autocross Charles, Kyle, David, Pete and Barrie on spirited run through Virginia’s Horse Country. It was a brisk and sunny spring day.  Perfect for top-down driving Toby didn’t even bother to bring his Civic. They zig-zagged along beautiful back country road between horse farms and country estates, before returning to downtown Middleburg for a late lunch at … Continue reading Middleburg Fun Run

A bone stock Miata, “loaner” helmets, a big parking lot and sea of orange traffic cones. Kenny and Toby dipped their toes in the performance driving waters by autocrossing (AX). Kenny and Toby were active participants at Capital Driving Club and Mazda Club of Washington events, driving our Miata and Civic. We also signed up to many autocross schools and car control clinics offered by … Continue reading Autocross is a Gateway Drug

Kenny and Toby joined the hundreds of Miatas in Asheville. NC for the Miatas at the Biltmore Estate, organized by the Ridgerunner Miata Club of Western North Carolina (quite a mouthful!) The event ran from Thursday (5/6) through Sunday (5/9). Asheville was a 7.5 hour drive from Washington DC so Kenny and Toby left DC early so they could make it in time for registration … Continue reading Miatas at the Biltmore Estate

Toby bought a used 1998 Honda Civic when he moved back from South Africa to Washington DC in 2001. The car did not stay stock for long.  As Toby and Kenny started autocrossing, the list of modifications grew: And finishing touches: It was by no means “modest”, but Toby thinks it was still purposeful and understated. Continue reading The Fast and the Furious Civic