Silver Adventures

Meet Pedro. He’s a 2012 Copper Red USA-specification Mazda MX-5 Sport model which we bought not long after moving to Kentucky in 2016. Pedro is our second Miata – we had to sell our beloved Lola before we moved to the USA due to asinine NHTSA regulations. She was a 2000 Evolution Orange Mica Miata and we loved her dearly. Pedro had big shoes to fill, and he’s done an admirable job doing so over the past eight years. 

While he’s kept clean and well-maintained, he isn’t coddled. After joining the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Central Kentucky Region chapter in Lexington, Pedro spent many weekends on the local autocross/Solo II course putting up with his owner’s less-than-stellar driving. His soft, stock suspension was upgraded to improve his handling and give him a better chance in the SCCA C-Street class. He won his class at one event in Richmond, KY in 2017 and was normally in the top three whenever he showed up. 

When not competing on weekends, Pedro took us touring throughout the south-central states including Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Indiana, West Virginia and Ohio. Spirited passages of the Tail of the Dragon, Back of the Dragon, and the Devil’s Triangle were included in these tours. Some of these weekends included road rallying in south Ohio with the Cincinnati Region SCCA, where he finished second in their club road rally championship in 2017. In May 2017, he participated in a high-performance track day at the National Corvette Museum Motorsport Park in Bowling Green and a couple of months later won the Novice class at an SCCA Divisional Course Rally in Indianapolis. Throughout all of this and like most Miatas, he never missed a beat. 

Since driving home (and tolerating the import process) to Nova Scotia in 2018, Pedro has been a faithful and reliable touring car, a capable tarmac rally recce car, and has returned to the autocross course. Upgraded Eibach sway bars put him out of the Street class and into STR where BMW M3s and larger budgets come to play. He may not have trophies in his future, but he and his driver have fun. He is a member of the Maritime Miata Club, Atlantic Sports Car Club and Bluenose Autosport Club, occasionally hangs out with the Atlantic Canada Topless Cruisers and has toured around the periphery of the province including twice around the Cabot Trail. Last summer, he took us through Quebec to Ontario and back home through New Hampshire and Maine with comfort, spirit and economy. 

Our recent fly-away travels mean Pedro doesn’t see as many miles as he used to, but the Travel Manager and I always know he’s up for an adventure. The paint on his nose has seen better days, his top is showing signs of wear and he could use a good, thorough detailing. Not much different than his driver then, to be honest. But he’s ours and a member of the family. Pedro puts the “sports” back in “sports car,” and he’s a supercar by any practical definition. 

We’re looking forward to another great driving season, even if it’s somewhat curtailed due to other travels and commitments. Whatever you drive, we wish you a 2024 full of adventures on the road!