When car enthusiasts gather, they often engage in discussion about hypothetical racing scenarios. Questions like, “If Betty White drives a Viper, do you think you can beat her in a race in your Toyota Celica?” and “Would a modern-day driver like Michael Schumacher outpace legendary driver Fangio in the same car?” tend to arise. These conversations usually involve considering the speed and performance of cars across different eras in racing history. One such intriguing question is whether a Mazda Miata, specifically the MX-5 Cup race car, could win the Indianapolis 500. Let’s delve into this fascinating thought experiment.
The MX-5 Cup car has raced at Indianapolis in 2017, but on the road course, so the race data isn’t directly applicable to the Indy 500. Nonetheless, we can glean insights by examining its performance at a recent race at Daytona International Speedway. The car’s data logger indicated a top speed of around 146 miles per hour. With adjustments for the Indy 500, we estimate a top speed of 140 miles per hour during private qualifying. This speed aligns with the pole position achieved by Jerry Hoyt in 1955. Despite the car’s capabilities, we must address the question of whether it can complete the 500 miles and have a shot at victory.
During the 1959 Indy 500, cars had to refuel three times throughout the 500-mile race, covering approximately 125 miles on a full tank. The MX-5’s 11.9-gallon fuel tank suggests it could potentially achieve around 125 miles per tank at maximum velocity. Accounting for additional pit stops, we estimate that the MX-5 would need to make four stops in the 500-mile race. Each pit stop back then lasted around 25 seconds, making for a total time loss comparable to the well-executed pit stops of the era. Therefore, pit stops wouldn’t be a hindrance to the Miata’s success at Indy.Image: IMS MuseumThe last year a fictional MX-5 Cup car could have qualified for the Indy 500 was 1955, aligning with Jerry Hoyt’s pole position speed. In a realistic scenario, after a pit stop, the MX-5’s projected finish time would be three hours, 36 minutes, and 12 seconds, outpacing the winning time in 1955 by 17 minutes.Formula Bob Sleikert, the 1955 Indy 500 winner, achieved an average speed of 128.209 miles per hour. By maintaining a consistent speed of 140.0 miles per hour for 100 miles, based on pit stop calculations, the MX-5 Cup car could potentially win the 1959 Indy 500.
Despite the hypothetical nature of this scenario, it raises interesting discussions about the evolving capabilities of cars over time. If given the opportunity to transport a 2024 Mazda MX-5 Cup car back to 1959, it could potentially secure a victory at the iconic Indianapolis 500. This leads us to contemplate the possibilities of modern racing cars competing against their historic counterparts, posing questions that prompt further exploration and imagination.
