Long-term report: Competing in the world’s first ‘track night’ in our Mazda MX-5 RF

Not often do I get an email asking if I’d like to take part in a world-first, but that’s exactly what happened a while ago. Mazda UK wondered if I’d like to participate in the world’s very first track ‘night’ in my little MX-5 RF, and you can imagine my answer.

You might remember that before the UK basked in 30-degree temperatures of late, it was rather chilly at the beginning of this year. Indeed, the 320-mile drive from my house in Hampshire to the depths of rural North Wales wasn’t the warmest drive of my life.

Roof down, the trek on the motorways was a doddle. But as darkness (and with the roof now firmly up) fell the decision to cut the arduous slog up the M6 and cross the England-Wales border on the M56 in favour of the more interesting cross-country jaunt on the A5, was the wrong one.

Driving a sports car at night, in traffic and in the winter isn’t a pleasant thing. With so many people favouring SUVs these days, these cars’ high-set headlamps can dazzle low-slung cars like the MX-5. Not just that, but these taller cars had a habit of kicking up all manner of rubbish straight into the Mazda’s windscreen. But, grumbles aside, it shows just how refined sports cars have become when a relatively humble car like the MX-5 can just shrug off such a 320-mile journey with ease – I didn’t ache or need several stops for breaks because the RF is just such a comfortable car to cover ground in.

My overnight stop was just a few miles away from the famous Trac Mon Anglesey Circuit, where, 24 hours later, I would be taking part in a unique event.

Organised by the forces’ motorsport charity, Mission Motorsport – the amazing organisation that aids the recovery of those affected by military operations by engagement through motorsport and the motor industry – the event was designed to give people a flavour of night time racing. The charity has held the Race of Remembrance endurance event at Anglesey for many years, but this was the first time it has organised a track day held at night time. In fact, more than that, it’s thought that this event is the first of its type at an un-lit track anywhere in the world.

The next day brought some day-time running at the track for a bit of practice ahead of the night’s activities. If you’ve never driven the Anglesey circuit then you really must as it’s one of the most picturesque tracks in the UK. Located on the stunning Anglesey island, it really is the last place you’d expect a racing track to be. On a clear day the Snowdonia mountains appear in the distance, and if you’re really lucky you can glimpse the distant Wicklow Mountains of Ireland – but it’s nearly always windy.

But on this day there was not a whisper of wind. Having never driven the track before, I spent some time gingerly learning the correct lines and places to brake for the corners. I’ve driven many MX-5s in my time as a journalist (and I’ve even raced one many years ago) and they are one of the most forgiving sports cars you can drive – but only up to a point. I’ve always found the current fourth-generation to be very easy to drive quickly, but ask too much of it and it’ll bite.

Mazda has tweaked the MX-5 for 2025, and aside from some tech changes the big news is the mechanical modifications. The steering has been recalibrated to give a more natural feel, there’s a new Asymmetric Limited Slip Differential, and a new track driving mode that loosens the Dynamic Stability Control and delays its intervention.

The changes have just polished what was probably one of the best balanced and involving sports cars on sale, regardless of price. After a good couple of dozen laps, I felt as though I could lean on the car far more than any other MX-5 I’ve ever driven. In particular, I had more confidence to push the car – the track setting allowed a little bit of rear-end slip before the traction control system gathered everything together. As the sun set across the Irish Sea I was feeling pretty confident for the night’s driving.

That was until the cars for the night session started to appear in the pit lane. There were McLarens, Porsche 911 Turbos, stripped-out BMW 3 Series Compact cup racers, even a rally-spec Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6 – I was feeling a bit outclassed in my MX-5. More than that, the lines and braking points I had been carefully honing during the daytime disappeared at night.

The Anglesey track isn’t flood-lit like much larger venues, so once I was out of the comfort of the brightly lit pit straight, it was pitch-black.  The organisers had put out reflective markers for the corners, but I quickly discovered that it’s rather hard concentrating on driving when you’ve got cars with their full beams behind you – and quicker cars, at that. Also, the need to look round corners while your car’s headlights are pointing directly ahead didn’t help either.

It was a real attack on the senses and demanded every bit of my admittedly-limited driving skills set. But, as I pulled into the pits after a rather wonderful experience, I came to the decision that I wouldn’t have wanted to have done it in any other road car other than the MX-5. It was so easy to drive quickly and precisely despite the sheer confusion caused by the pitch-black surroundings.

The experience was amazing, but aside from this brief jaunt to North Wales, the MX-5 has been busy with more mundane tasks like being my commuting car to various airports, supermarket shopping trips – more on this next time.