Prep Shops spread around the country offer a variety of ways to concentrate on driving without worrying about the logistics

There are a ton of shops out there with ready-to-go fleets of rentals. All you have to do is show up and drive.

Still, there are those who prefer to own their own race car. They want it to fit like a glove and look the way they want it. However, like those who seek to rent, they may not have the time or other necessary resources (shop space, trailer, etc.) to do everything themselves. For them, the prep shop comes into play providing everything but the car.

“I think that with today’s mentality, the way people are, nobody has time to play with their own race car,” said the late-Dave Wheeler of Advanced Autosports in Beloit, Wis. “So for the people that have the money, it’s well worth it. They have all of the advantages of a big-time shop without the commitment.” Wheeler and his late wife Ann O’Malley built a prep shop for the ages – often supporting circa 40 customer cars and a small rental fleet, all of which they would bring to the track for which they would provide trackside support.

And now in 2021, Advanced Autosports is just as strong, illustrating that Advanced Autosports was built to last, largely due to the people and culture they created.

Most every prep shop offers transportation, trackside support and storage as a service to go along with the rental fleet. Either method is a way to get an easy start in racing without a huge commitment to storage and transportation equipment. In the coming weeks we’ll look at some of the individual Spec Miata prep shops and the services they offer, which are more and more in demand.

Southeast/East:
BSI Racing – Daytona Beach, FL
Old Dogs Racing – Sunrise, FL
AutoTechnik Racing – Cape Coral, FL
OPM Autosports – Cumming, GA
Panic Motorsports – West Columbia, SC
East Street Racing – Memphis, TN
RP Performance – Summit Point Motorsports Park, WV
Windsor Customs – Thurmont, MD
Planet Miata – Swoyersville, PA
Rossini Racing – Stewartsville, NJ
Flatout Motorsports – Mendon, MA

Midwest:
Jesse Prather Motorsports- Topeka, KS
Advanced Autosports – Beloit, MD
V2 Motorsports – Sterling Heights, MI

Central:
Winding Road Racing – Austin, TX
SlipStream Performance – Houston, TX
X-Factor Racing – Princeton, TX
Motorsport Enterprises Racing – Cresson, TX

West:
MiataCage – Portland, OR
Sevens Only – Buttonwillow, CA
Haag Performance – Sacramento, CA