Category: Dear Car Girl

This letter is for you Mazda loving Car Girl. Everything from tips for installations, meets, learning about other women who mod their Mazdas and more.

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Join the Mazda Family

Oh man, where to start.

               Day one, was a 6-hour drive from Utah to Boise Idaho. I was supposed to head out with a couple of other Utah guys, but they were not able to make it. I was on my own for 6 and the only thing going through my head was, “I’m on my own, driving to a town I know no one in, I have zero friends and that I’ll probably be the only Mazda 3 there”. I made it my goal to make friends wherever it is I go or else this was going to be a alone and this trip would have been a waste. As I get into town I settled into my Airbnb and decided to hit the town. I only saw one speed that night but I was anxious for the next day to go to the events start.

                

Day two, I went to this pancake house to grab some grub and I was shaking out of excitement. I head over to Keith’s house and see four speeds outside. I immediately knew I was in the right place. I walk up to Keith and welcomes me with open arms and announces I am the only Utah guy to show up this year. I start talking to everyone and get to meet everyone who shows up and I’m having a blast every one welcoming me to Idaho and the first takeover for me.

Keith announces we will be going to horseshoe bend. A canyon drive day one, one I will never forget. It was a beautiful sight the entire time. Brett hanging out of Corey’s  MX-5 MSM taking beautiful shots of everyone’s cars and even a drone in the sky.

Later that day we head off to start our first competition of the weekend, go-karting. Name of the game fastest lap time wins a prize. I can’t remember who it was that won. Then that night was BBQ night and drinks all around. That’s when I got to meet everyone else who had shown up, share a couple of beers and enjoy the CorkSport koozies that were handed out.

 

Day three, I woke up in my car…well because of the night before.

Saturday was a slow and relaxed day of just hanging out in the garage hiding from the rain. While we hanging out in the garage some of the Oregon guys decided to adopt me and I can join them since I was the only Utahan. I also got to talk to Dale and pick his brain about tuning and learned a bunch about speed that I had no knowledge of as well.  Later that night we head off to the raceway and I’m excited to see everyone run and see lap times everyone was laying down. There were a bunch of cool cars and Barett laying down some fast times on street tires.

Day four, the last day.

Everyone meets up to say their goodbyes, have a beer or two, share some last tales. The few people that have left a great memory for me where Keith, Jordan, Anthony, Aaron, Dale, Brett, Corey, and how could I ever forget Brian. As I head back to Utah with everyone on my mind and how my entire weekend went I wanted to turn around and just stay. I had made new Mazda Friends and Family.

Those four days were ones I could never forget.  The feeling of being accepted into a group of people I didn’t know and didn’t necessarily fit in with was one that cannot be explained. It can only be experienced. When I came back to Utah, I couldn’t stop thinking about my vacation in Idaho. How it ended so soon. How it felt like I started a new life for just 4 days. I want next year to come sooner so that I may meet the friends and family I now have in Idaho, Washington, and in Oregon.  Thank all of you again for the wonderful experience.

Oh yeah, by the way, I am making the drive to the CorkSport Dyno Day and Show & Shine on August 25th – Excited to see my new/old friends!

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The Race Car Romance

I recently had the opportunity to interview one of my favorite up-and-coming racers and wanted to share with you some of her advice and story. This is just an awesome look into the winning mentality of one of SCCA’s Wendi Allen Scholarship prominent women Racers! From where she started to where she’s headed and some info in between, you’ll get a chance to hear direct from Johanna Foege in this interview.

Mazdaspeed 6 racing car

How long have you been racing? What got you started?

My brothers both got involved with auto-crossing while I was in college and were always trying to convince me to come out and race with them. It wasn’t until the end of 2011 when a friend offered me a co-drive in their Mazda3 (and a year after I purchased my first MazdaSpeed3) that I finally gave it a try.

At that first event, I ended up taking first in my novice (open) class of 7, on my first run, nonetheless! Naturally, I was immediately hooked.

Gray Racing Mazdaspeed 3

What have been the best outcomes for you since starting racing?

This year I received the SCCA Wendi Allen Scholarship. I suppose this means that I’ve made enough positive impressions on SCCA members to have been nominated for this award, which is intended for young women drivers that show promise at driving and inspiring other women. This scholarship has made a crazy year of racing possible for me, and I’m so grateful to have received the recognition and the opportunity to compete in 8 national tour events throughout 2018!

What have been your best standings thus far?

My first taste of victory was at a local event in Champaign, IL when I took the fastest run of the day (out of all the drivers), in the Mazdaspeed6 back in June 2014. I’ve only made it to one National event which was in September 2017 at Lincoln, NE, but I managed to trophy there, finishing 3rd in my class. And just last week at the Championship Tour Event in Peru, IN, I managed to finish 16th out of 275 drivers.

What do you believe is the best MOD for racing – if you had to pick the best one?

I think this entirely depends on your car and the kind of racing you do! For autocross, the rear sway bar has been my favorite in my Mazdaspeed3, as it helps combat the understeer, pushy front-wheel drive characteristics. My favorite mod on the Mazdaspeed6 has been the custom valved, high spring rate coilover setup since that car has relatively soft suspension and a lot of body roll from the factory.

What is your favorite MOD – other than the Driver Mod, which we know you invested in already?

If awesome tires count as a mod, definitely that! All other mods depend entirely on how much grip your tires have on the surface at any given moment. This applies to the street, too. Also, have you seen our Hoosiers?

What has been the most memorable mistake you’ve made on the track?

At 2017 SCCA SOLO Nationals, I had a KILLER run- 0.7 seconds faster than the rest of mine, and 0.5 seconds ahead of first place in my class. I’d been working on looking ahead while driving throughout the year and was doing such a good job of this that I hit a cone that was right in front of me on that run. I remember seeing it at the last second and thinking, “There’s no way I’m getting around that now!” What I didn’t know at that moment, was that cone was going to cost me first place at my first Nationals.

Mazdaspeed 6 Track racing

What is your best advice for other Drivers starting out?

Take a school, ask people for help and advice (and be receptive to it), and don’t give up! Don’t be too hard on yourself, driving skills take a long time to polish, and do come more naturally to some people. In the end, racing is really about mental preparation, confidence, and ambition composure on course.

Why do you believe women in racing is important?

I think it’s time we see a paradigm shift about the activities that women (and men) pursue. I’m all about supporting whatever healthy hobbies people find themselves interested in, and I don’t think there needs to be gender stereotypes associated with any of them. I love to see women participating in motorsports because it serves as a reminder to all that we are on the same playing field as men, and are capable of just as much. As more women enter the world of racing, I really hope it opens the door to other ladies feeling comfortable pursuing what has historically been an atypical interest. I just hear way too many women say “That’s so cool that you race, but I could never do that!” You can, and you should give it a try!!! Maybe someday, they will.

SCCA Women Racers

Lastly, feel free to add anything you’d like the public to know about you, your car or your racing experience!

I’ve made efforts in the Mazdaspeed (forum) community to support and encourage all members, but particularly other women, to participate in the sport of autocross. I’ve taken part in organizing four different national meets, and assured autocross was on our schedule at each one. I also made myself available to instruct at these events, and really focused on getting the women members to take part with me. I’ve gotten several of the local member’s girlfriends into the driver’s seat at autocross events as well. It has been rewarding to watch them find enjoyment from it and help them grow into better drivers, as many have found it easier to learn from a fellow woman, than their significant other, lol.

Mazdaspeed 6 woman racer

My teammate and partner of 5 years, Clint, and I live nearly 600 miles apart. He’s been my inspiration, engineer, coach, mechanic, and best friend all along, and I credit him for bringing me to where I am today, and for building us an amazingly capable and unique car. I just started a blog to keep track of our long-distance relationship racing adventures this year, as well as driving tips, goals, and my progress through each event!

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WHY GET INVOLVED IN THE MAZDA COMMUNITY?!

A car club by any other name is just a group of enthusiasts getting together to celebrate their gains, reach out for support, gather advice and inspiration, and ultimately find a reason to connect.

With Mazda clubs, specifically Nator Clubs, there is a LOT more to it than just the benefit to you as a single person.

We recently sent Kim out to the Epic Nator Meet in Robbinsville, NC, to ride the trail of the dragon, reach out to the Mazda community, and just generally bring her personality to ignite the shenanigans at the event. If you’ve ever had the “pleasure” of meeting or hanging out with Kim, you know what we’re talking about. You never know what will be said, how loud it will get, or how late into the night the event will go… especially if there’s a campfire.

She came back with some good info, great shots, and some awesome stories that reignited our LOVE of the NATOR MAZDASPEED CLUB and the Mazda community as a whole!

Mazda Community

From the moment she started to plan her drive from Richmond, VA, she was able to connect with a fellow West Coast transplant, and make the drive in her rental following the Mazdaspeed booty. Stopping for coffee, food, and to refuel it was an awesome drive all the way to Robbinsville, NC.

Tail of the Dragon Mazda Route

Pulling in, the hotel parking lot was already full of Mazda’s, and what a sight for sore eyes it was! Good friends from Canada, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Maryland, and so many other places! For those who had come in during the week, running the Tail of the Dragon had still not gotten old, and Mazdaspeeds were coming back from mid-day runs for dinner.

Nights filled with good friends, talk of cars, and connecting to just catch up were the basis of the meet, and hopping from one car to the next to get feedback and different set-ups and parts was awesome! No need to drive the Dragon in a rental when there are so many built Mazdas around!

Mazdaspeed 3 and Mazda tail

We got reports of the spirit of the Nator Mazda community still being alive! With part swaps and repairs in the parking lot – all hands on deck, pickups on trailers for those with bigger issues, and unfortunately we saw the spirit of Nator in having one another’s backs as people as well! From fender benders to a hospital run to keep our squad safe and healthy!

There is nothing, and we mean it, absolutely nothing better than seeing what the Mazdaspeed Nator club is capable of when it comes to supporting one another, donating to a cause or raffle, and just genuinely having a great time!

CorkSport Mazda Community Swag

Keep an eye out, as we will be sharing about our trip to the Mazda Takeover Event in Idaho very soon, and hosting our own Mazda Showdown, event at the end of summer. There is very little that tops the feeling of being connected to a core group of Mazda enthusiasts, and from West Coast to East Coast, we do our best to stay connected and keep the spirit of the Mazda Community running deep!

Until next time, stay safe, stay fast, and stay happy my friends!

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CorkSport Extras

Have you ever felt the love?!

Here at CorkSport, we are known for paying attention to the little things when it comes to our customers. Often, you’ll see we send out some extras like the following, to pass just a little bit of extra joy to our customers!

We do Little things, like notes, cards, drawings, and candies. Who doesn’t need a little extra fuel during the install?

We do Big things, like Christmas Packages for Deployed Soldiers, unexpected gifts for customers going through life changes, and surprise drop-offs when we’re in your town. Always looking for a way to give our thanks for your support!

We do Baby Things… to welcome the newest members of the CorkSport Family to the world, not to mention that little T-shirts are just plain awesome!

And Holiday Things, to spread joy, cheer, and love when the season is just right. Not just Christmas, we’ve been known to hit Valentine’s day too, (warning here that sometimes Girlfriends get jealous if they see the valentines we send out)

Sometimes there are silly things, like drawings, games, and toys. Of course, having a signed autograph from Derrick may be silly to some, but SOLID GOLD for others.

Really, we just love doing all the things. No matter what you get or see as an ‘extra WOW’ in your packages, just know we did it out of love and thanks.

That is Why we do it.

To bring that extra bit of joy to your day, as if receiving CorkSport parts wasn’t enough. It’s our favorite. Surpassing customer expectations and seeing their joy come right back to us via social media. As you can see our customers share the love right back when they post our simple little tokens of gratitude.

Have you been one of the lucky few to receive a bit of Corksport WOW in your life? We’d love to see you post it up with #CorkSport or tag us with @CorkSport.

Nothing satisfies the CorkSport Team more than seeing happy, satisfied customers!
  • Kim

 

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Winterize – Dear Car Guy

Dear Car Guy,

It’s beginning to look a lot like WINTER, and for those of us who aren’t so lucky to have a daily driver, it’s time to start to winterize our Mazdas.

If you’re not one of those who put their Mazda baby to sleep for the long winter months, check out the tips below to best prepare for winter driving, and keeping yourself safe!

CHECK YOUR TIRES!

• Consider getting snow tires. If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, swap out your regular tires for all-season tires or snow tires. Seems obvious, but snow tires have a softer rubber that allows them to retain flexibility in the coldest of weather. They also have specifically-designed tread pattern for gripping in ice and snow. They aren’t guaranteed to keep you from slipping and sliding in your car, but they help with better traction. (In winter, any extra help to keep us from losing control of our Mazdas)

• Check the tire pressure. If you’re not opting for winter tires, check your tires often and keep them properly inflated, however this is needed for all tire types. Cold weather changes the air pressure in your tires and causes it to drop (No, it’s not the local kids deflating your tires… I’ve fallen for that one before). Remember that properly inflated tires keep better contact with the road, and while you can’t always keep from slipping, you can do your best to have more connection to the pavement.

• Check the security of your mudflaps. Mudflaps can help keep road debris from killing your paint, be sure yours are securely installed on your ride for maximum protection. If you don’t have them yet, we can hook you up with a fresh set of mudflaps here.

CHECK YOUR FLUIDS AND ENGINE!

• Fill your wiper fluid and change out your blades. Remember that seeing the road is a requirement to staying on it! An ample supply of wiper fluid and new blades will give you a good line of sight in those nasty winter storms. Be sure to use the wiper fluid that has a lower freezing temperature. Otherwise, you’ll be trying to clear your windshield and failing.

• Get an oil change. For your Mazda’s engine to run, it needs the correct oil lubrication. Unfortunately, colder temperatures reduce the effectiveness of the oil. The colder it is outside, the thicker the oil gets. Thickened oil has trouble circulating through your engine, which means your engine doesn’t get appropriately lubricated during startup. Check the owner’s manual to see what oil is currently used in your Mazda, as well as, the recommended viscosity (thickness of the oil) level for different climates.

• Check your anti-freeze mixture. The ratio of your water to anti-freeze mixture should be 50:50 to prevent your radiator coolant from freezing. If you’re unsure, your local auto parts store should have a relatively cheap anti-freeze tester.

• Check your belts and hoses. Colder temperatures potentially weaken the belts and hoses. Look for signs of wear, and replace if needed. In the scenario that a belt snaps while you’re driving, you’ll have to wait for a tow truck, or that trusted buddy to get you out of the cold.

PROTECT YOUR CAR!

• Remove vulnerable exterior mods. Exterior modifications like front lips, custom wheels, and any other exterior bolt-ons that you cherish should be removed. The elements will take their toll on your car, even if it’s parked in the garage at night. From salt on the roads to new potholes you can’t see in the rain, keeping these beloved mods in the garage for the season will preserve your investment.

• Install floor mats. If you don’t already have floor mats in your ride, putting them in the front and back of the car will help keep your interior carpet pristine. Floor mats are easier to clean and can be removed to wash if the mud or snow gets too intense. Click here to check out our CS floor mats.

• Secure your Seat Covers. If you don’t have them, winter is the best time to use them! If you do, make sure that you have them securely installed. The wet from rain and snow isn’t great for the interior and seats. They’re also great for protecting your back and passenger seats from corners of boxes or crockpots of chili while carting presents and food from place to place.

PROTECT YOURSELF!

• Stock your car with emergency supplies. This is one that my dad never let me leave home without. Snacks, blankets, towels, waters, and emergency/first aid kit should be in your trunk during the winter seasons (if it’s not always in there). You never know where or when you might get stranded during winter, and if it’s for longer than expected being prepared is key! Also, the towel is great for kids, passengers, and pets who might be a little muddy or wet from the weather.

Note here from CorkSport: Keeping spare cash in your emergency kit can often help if you’re financially strapped and need to pay for a tow. It could save your butt one day (I know it has saved mine in emergencies!).

• Check your emergency supplies. Road flares, jumper cables, and first aid supplies should be checked for expiration and usability. Road flares do not always have expiration dates. However, the summer months with high heat can sometimes render them unusable (storage above 120 degrees for longer than a week should be avoided), as well as they could be expired if you got your kit for Christmas from Grandma a few years ago.

Whether you’re driving a Mazdaspeed 3, Mazdaspeed 6, or you’re riding around in a Mazda 3 or Mazda 6, we hope that you use our tips to keep yourself safer this winter!

We also sincerely hope that you’re not trying to weather any storms in a Miata or MX5… our Mazda enthusiasts are awesome, but that’s just a different level of crazy!

Anyone else have some good tips or tricks for winter driving in your Mazda or Mazdaspeed?

Share your thoughts or tips in the comments; I am sure we could all use them!

Wishing you safety, warmth, and clear weather this winter!

Cheers,
Kim@CorkSport