Lyn St. James, professional race car driver, advocates for women and the first woman to win the Rookie of the Year award from the Indianapolis 500 (1992) on her 1990 Mazda MX-5 Miata, as told to AJ Baime.
In the spring of 1990, I was at a racing event in Columbus, Ohio, and the man who was presenting said, ‘Hey, do you want to see my new baby?’ I said, “Of course.” We went out in his garage and there it was, this little red sports car. I have never seen or heard a Miata before. I asked if I could sit in it, and then I put my left hand on the steering wheel and my right on the switch. I said to myself, “It just feels right.”
Shortly thereafter, I started seeing billboards and print ads. Mazda’s motto for the new car was: “It just feels good.” Total coincidence. At the time I was under contract to race with Ford Motor Co.
, and so I always had Ford cars. I did not need a new car, but I bought one – a Miata from its very first model year.
There was nothing like the Miata at the time – a new, small, two-seater convertible sports car. And this one hit every point. It had a cool style, it was affordable, it had durability, performance and economy. I lived in South Florida and it was a perfect place to drive with the top down. Although it had a small four-cylinder, it was a twin-top engine. The car likes to go fast. I definitely got some tickets. It was the kind of car that wanted to let you go to your garage so you could say good night.
Now, so many years later, I can look back and say that I have not owned a car for more than three years except the one I have owned for over three decades. It amazes me that I never heard of the Miata when I first saw it. Now you see them everywhere. It has its own successful racing series, the MX-5 Cup. [Built in Hiroshima, Japan, the Miata is today, by far, the bestselling two seat convertible sports car of all time.]
About five years ago, I was going to visit my daughter who lives in San Francisco, and I learned that Tom Matano – who led the design of this car for Mazda – works in San Francisco. I made an appointment and met him. To me, it was like meeting Enzo Ferrari if you’re a Ferrari nut, or Carroll Shelby if you’re a Shelby nut. He turned out to be the humblest, most glorious man, and it was an honor to get to know him.
These days, I still drive the Miata fully. If I take it out, I want to take it out. Recently, I was traveling south to Mexico with one of my favorite friends. We were on a straight road with no speed limit. I reached 120 km / h. The car was as happy as a camper, as they say, and the driver too.
In 1985, Mrs. St. James won her class during a 500-mile endurance ride in Watkins Glen, NY. Although she was with a co-driver, she had already done 500 kilometers herself.
Photo:
Lyn St. James
Me. St. James with a Ford race car at Daytona International Speedway in 1985.
Photo:
Lyn St. James
Write to AJ Baime by [email protected]
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