Well the 2008 season is starting with a few more RX-8s in the pack... and they lead the test days for the Daytona-24 hour

http://rotarynews.com/node/view/972

Let the racing begin!!!


Enjoy!

-Bern

Nice. Thanks Bern. :)

Paul.

Bob Thorne has already been posting here in another forum. Here: http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=126697

Thanks Bern, can't wait to see it on the tube.

Thanks,

does that mean the #70 is gonna be at NAIAS?
________
The Peak Towers (http://pattayaluxurycondos.com)

Bob Thorne has already been posting here in another forum. Here: http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=126697Thanks for the link... I wanted to start a fresh 2008 season thread. The pics there are great!

Great that Bob Thorne is keeping us updated from an insider point of view.

-Bern

Since it's part of the Grand Am series, I have a complete fresh set of Koni 2812 racing coilovers built to Koni Challenge specs complete with fresh mono-ball mounts, all hardware, etc.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=134056

combined fast times of the 3 day test (as listed on the GRAND-AM site)

Car number Class Drivers Team Car Time Speed
30 GT Dobson/ Thorne/ Michaelian/ Mi Racers Edge Motorsports Mazda RX-8 01:50.6 115.859
15 GT Nastasi/ Empringham/ Dumoulin/ Sai Blackforest Motorsports Mustang Cobra GT 01:51.1 115.315
80 GT Greenberg/ Faulkner/ Heylen/ Arnold Synergy Racing Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.2 115.228
89 GT Drudi/ Giammaria/ Rosa/ Hardt/ Petro Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.2 115.219
66 GT Miller/ Ballou/ Lally/ Westbrook TRG Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.3 115.179
64 GT Lowe/ Pace/ van Overbeek/ Sugden/ TRG Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.3 115.168
88 GT Lacey/ Wilkins/ Kaffer/ Stippl Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.3 115.165
70 GT Haskell/ Tremblay/ Ham/ Matos SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 01:51.3 115.104
86 GT Henzler/ Lux/ Keen/ Maassen/ Bergm Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.4 115.096
40 GT Foster/ Espenlaub/ Dempsey Hyper Sport Mazda RX-8 01:51.4 115.037
29 GT de Quesada/ Gabel/ Woodman/ Dum Alegra Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.4 115.007
81 GT Johnson/ Huisman/ Doornbos/ Lietz Synergy Racing Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.5 114.969
14 GT Friedman/ McGehee/ Lazzaro/ Kellene Autometrics Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.5 114.91
67 GT George Jr/ Pumpelly/ Sellers/ Raggin TRG Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.7 114.781
34 GT Willsey/ Papad/ Fitzger/ Mowle Orbit Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.7 114.735
87 GT Werner/ Farnbacher/ Ehret/ Bernhard Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.7 114.705
62 GT Burtin/ Baldwin TRG Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.8 114.671
21 GT Prewitt/ Reindler/ Alessi Matt Connolly Motorsports Pontiac GTO.R 01:51.8 114.66
69 GT Assentato/ Segal/ Longhi/ Pech SpeedSource Mazda RX-8 01:51.8 114.63
7 GT Edwards/ Collins/ Magnussen / Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R 01:51.8 114.596
88 GT Lacey/ Wilkins/ Kaffer/ Stippl Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup 01:51.9 114.564
72 GT Aschenbach/ Lewis Jr/ Stanton/ Papis Porsche GT3 Cup 01:52.1 114.329
65 GT Oasis/ Atherton/ Stout/ Daskalos TRG Porsche GT3 Cup 01:52.2 114.275
43 GT Sahlen/ Nonnamaker/ Nonnamaker/ Team Sahlen Corvette 01:52.2 114.242
63 GT Ende/ Yarab Jr/ Bourque/ Maher TRG Porsche GT3 Cup 01:52.2 114.215
50 GT Farano/ Jensen/ Cloud/ Bradley Blackforest Motorsports Mustang 01:52.2 114.205
6 GT Reese/ Nearn/ Bunting/Pilgri Banner Racing Pontiac GXP.R 01:52.4 113.999
57 GT Liddell/ Davis/ Pobst/ Jeannette Stevenson Motorsports Pontiac GXP.R 01:52.4 113.985
85 GT Drudi/ Giammaria/ Rosa/ Hardt/ Petro Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup 01:52.8 113.657
52 GT Min/ Biagi/ Montanari/ Venier Mastercar Ferrari F430 CH 01:52.8 113.589
83 GT McCrackin/ / Smith/ Walker/ Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup 01:52.9 113.525
74 GT Skea/ Patch/ Hamblin/ Rosnz/ C Autometrics Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup 01:52.9 113.524
22 GT de Quesada/ Gabel/ Woodman/ Du Alegra Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup 01:52.9 113.509
68 GT Gomez/ Auriemma/ Mayes/ TRG Porsche GT3 Cup 01:53.0 113.392
17 GT Henzler/ Lux/ Keen/ Maassen/ Bergm Terra Firma Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup 01:53.2 113.177
90 GT Thornton/ Long/ Varde/ Russell Automatic Racing BMW M6 01:53.5 112.916
42 GT Ende/ Yarab Jr/ Bourque/ Maher Team Sahlen Corvette 01:53.8 112.646
77 GT Oasis/ Atherton/ Stout/ Daskalos Doran Racing Ford Doran 01:54.1 112.278
26 GT Jacalone/ Jacalone/ Schmidt/ F Gotham Competition Porsche GT3 Cup 01:54.5 111.914
84 GT Bingham/ Pickering/ Cotter/ Pe Farnbacher Loles Motorsports Porsche GT3 Cup 01:55.7 110.807
44 GT Paquette/ Nixon/ Bullet Racing Porsche GT3 Cup 01:55.9 110.538
43 GT McCrackin/ / Smith/ Walker/ Team Sahlen Corvette 02:31.2 110.398
2 GT Sahlen/ Nonnamaker/ Nonnamaker/ SAMAX Pontiac Riley -.--- 109.727
8 GT Goldin/ Goldin/ Meassick Goldin Brothers Racing Mazda RX-8 01:58.3 108.293
3 GT Jacalone/ Jacalone/ / Schmidt Southard Motorsports Lexus Riley -.--- 107.285
51 GT Paquette/ Nixon/ Cheever Racing Pontiac Coyote -.--- 103.847

-Bern

where is the spencer car........#43
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Bubbler Pipe (http://bubblers.net/)

where is the spencer car........#43Not sure Dennis attended the test days... car #43 is listed as the Team Sahlen Corvette for this event.

-Bern

just checked, they're still listed for daytona, with #48 as their number
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SweetGoddess live (http://camslivesexy.com/cam/SweetGoddess)

this year is going to be great, the rx-8's are hamdling better than ever thanks to the rule changes, they are defenetly one of the teams to beat for the 24

i've been a fan of the 70 since they got into the rolex series so i hope to see them do well in daytona.

this year is going to be great, the rx-8's are hamdling better than ever thanks to the rule changes, they are defenetly one of the teams to beat for the 24

Is it only the 50pounds or so of weight they took back?
________
Best Vaporizer Temperature (http://www.vaporizers.net/)

i've been a fan of the 70 since they got into the rolex series so i hope to see them do well in daytona.
+1 Great drivers in the #70 SpeedSource RX-8! :bowdown:

I met the speedsource guys a sevenstock. Great guys!

I really like the looks of the 30 & 70 cars.

Is it only the 50pounds or so of weight they took back?

yes, those 50lbs do an amazing diference in handling and tire life

some other chages where made but I dont know what they where

I am just happy to see that the RX-8 is able to post the fastest lap.
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SweetLove live (http://camslivesexy.com/cam/SweetLove)

I can't wait to see them all there. I'll take as many pictures as I can and post another write up like last year.

I know Charles (Hypersport GT Car) so I'll try to get some paddock time with them if he has the time to hang out for a while.

we would appreciated a lot

would anyone happen to know the size of the tires and what size rims (18's or 19's) are on the #30 Racers Edge Motorsports Mazda RX-8? those look like some nice fat tires in the back!

we would appreciated a lot

I just noticed your location...

You know you can listen to the race on the Spanish webcast... Alfredo Nin who is the race announcer hails from the Dominican Republic and is an all-around great guy. I have had the pleasure of doing several interviews with him, as well as "Speedcom Live Link" in-car interviews. :bigok:

would anyone happen to know the size of the tires and what size rims (18's or 19's) are on the #30 Racers Edge Motorsports Mazda RX-8? those look like some nice fat tires in the back!

From the Grand-Am Rolex Series Rulebook:
2-14 Mazda RX8 (Prep 2)
2-14.1 20B Cosmo three rotor (Mazda Spec parts). 2.0 liter, 9.7 compression ratio, 3-52mm throttle
bodies, maximum of 6 injectors, maximum fuel pressure 4.2 bar, intake manifold is free.
Call Grand-Am for parts list at 386-947-6681.
2-14.2 Minimum weight 2200 lbs or 2288 lbs with DP transaxle
2-14.3 Six-speed transmission.
2-14.4 Maximum body width is 73.5 inches.
2-14.5 Engine set-back 5.125 inches from spindle centerline to 1st spark plug.
2-14.6 Complete rear wing height w/ end plates cannot exceed roof height.
2-14.7 Fuel capacity 24 gallons May use oil in fuel.
2-14.8 Allowed larger/higher exhaust position .
2-14.9 Tire sizes are 285/645-18 front and305/660R18 rear.

Remember that the Rolex cars are purpose built Prep-2 tube frame race cars that do not utlize the stock RX-8 unibody or drivetrain, so don't try to fit 305 wide tires on your street car! ;)

so they are giving the 8s 305 rear tires? if i remember correctly, it was 285 front and 295 rear before, even after the 50lb reduction.
________
Vaporizer Reviews (http://vaporizers.tv/)

so they are giving the 8s 305 rear tires? if i remember correctly, it was 285 front and 295 rear before, even after the 50lb reduction.

It became evident last year that the RX-8's rear tires would be okay for the first 2/3's or so of a green flag run and then they'd just fall off quite dramatically. Think Barber Motorsports Park 2007 :banghead:

While the increased rear section width will undoubtedly make the car faster, more than anything it addresses the larger problem of tire consistency during the course of the run.

wow, no wonder the 8s are so fast now, looking at the practice times. Now that the rules are the same as beginning of last year, and with the "next gen" lighter cars, we have a big chance at winning the 24. Lets hope GA won't repeat what they did last year by giving us the weight penalty again.
________
Live Sex (http://livesexwebshows.com/)

so don't try to fit 305 wide tires on your street car! ;) [/SIZE]

it can actually be done with not too much massaging :)

anybody know if the teams will upgrade to the new facelift look?

I personally don't think so. It isn't the same as the stock car to begin with. MS body. And theres not a reason to upgrade for the teams. They could swap out the taillights i suppose.
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BarbiDollxx (http://www.girlcamfriend.com/cam/BarbiDollxx/)

they will, but not any time soon, maybe by the end of the season or for next season

it can actually be done with not too much massaging :)

But what would be the fun of that? :lol2:

does anyone know if they are running both classes together again this year.. as that was an assload of cars on the tack at one time..

beers :beer:

does anyone know if they are running both classes together again this year.. as that was an assload of cars on the tack at one time..

beers :beer:

If you are refering to the Koni challenge race, yes the GS and St class will run at the same time http://www.grand-am.com/Events/EntryList.asp?EventID=222
The car count is up to 95 cars. Wish it were 96!

If you are refering to the Koni challenge race, yes the GS and St class will run at the same time http://www.grand-am.com/Events/EntryList.asp?EventID=222
The car count is up to 95 cars. Wish it were 96!

yes,

that is what i was talking about... it was like 110 + last year..

sounds like you are not coming this year. :(

beers :beer:

yes,

that is what i was talking about... it was like 110 + last year..

sounds like you are not coming this year. :(

beers :beer:It was pretty crazy with 110 cars last year. Going to be interesting this year being in the faster of the 2 classes :)

It was pretty crazy with 110 cars last year. Going to be interesting this year being in the faster of the 2 classes :)

they moved class in the koni challange series????

how,

what did they get to do that???? very confused.

btw, this is where you can tell me to search bitch.. :lol:

beers :beer:

they moved class in the koni challange series????

how,

what did they get to do that???? very confused.
Sorry, I should have clarified. I was referring to me running in ST last year.

btw, this is where you can tell me to search bitch.. :lol:

beers :beer::confused:

Which car are you driving?

#19 Marcus Motorsports Porsche

castrol is the new sponsor for the # 70

Thats awesome!

I want to see more pictures.

its got some Furai stickers on it. And its close in color
________
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http://grand-am.com/Content/Photos/News/2008/2008%20Mazda%2070%20Castrol%20350.jpg
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E-CIGS (http://www.ecigarettes123.com/)

http://www.speedsourceinc.com/client_images/news/3160_l.jpg

Posted (01/15/2008) - Mazda was able to announce today that a multi-year partnership with BP and their Castrol brand will bring new paint schemes to Mazda's top level sports car racing programs.

In ROLEX GT, the #70 Mazda RX-8 piloted by Sylvain Tremblay, Nick Ham, David Haskell, and Raphael Matos will take the green flag at the upcoming ROLEX 24 at Daytona in new Castrol Syntec colors. The #70 Mazda (in its new livery) was part of a very special integration of race cars from Mazdaspeed Motorsports in Mazda's vehicle display at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit....with race cars matched up with their street going cousins in the display, it reinforced the fact that there are more Mazdas and Mazda powered vehicles road racing on any given weekend than any other brand. The paint scheme on the RX-8 was also a direct tie-in to the Mazda Furai concept which Mazda unveiled to the media today. The dashed lines on the rear fenders and nose are the latest interpretation from Mazda vehicle designers, inspired by the paint scheme of the 1991 24 of Le Mans winning Mazda 787B. Tremblay and Ham will be behind-the- wheel-duo in the full 2008 ROLEX GT schedule.

"This new partnership has been in the making for the last couple of years and we could not be prouder to be associated with such a great brand," commented John Doonan, Mazda's Manager of Motorsports Team Development. "The target audience of both of our companies is nearly a direct match, with so many enthusiasts recognizing that our brands "get-it" when it comes to products that we bring to market. To be able to carry the Castrol Syntec colors into the 2008 season gives our RX-8 customer car program tremendous momentum and validation...and we will use our Motorsports programs as a celebration of this new partnership both on and off the track. With Mazda's CX-9 SUV taking home the North American Truck of the Year award early Sunday....there are a ton of smiles in the Mazda camp!"

"We could not be more thankful to everyone at Mazda for their belief in the vision to develop the RX-8 as we have...and to have six Mazda RX-8s on the entry list...amazing!, " added Sylvain Tremblay, team principal at SpeedSource with David Haskell. "And then to add a brand name like Castrol to the program makes it even more special. We are very much looking forward to representing such a great company with a rich Motorsports heritage. To have the car in the Mazda display here in Detroit gives everyone a sense of tremendous momentum heading into the new season. Now we just have to deliver."

In addition, the #69 FXDD Mazda RX-8 piloted by 2007 Bob Akin Cup winner, Emil Assentato...Jeff Segal...Nick Longhi...and Lonnie Pechnik, will be in a new "team car" reverse paint scheme at the ROLEX 24 at Daytona. Assentato and Segal will pilot the SpeedSource car for the entire 2008 ROLEX GT schedule.

All of the Mazda RX-8 teams are preparing every detail to make sure the ROLEX 24 delivers the results Mazda deserves. Six Mazda RX-8s are entered for North America's 24 hour classic. Joining the two cars rolling out of the SpeedSource stables will be...the #40 SOBE entry from Hypersport with a driver line-up to include Patrick Dempsey, Charles Espenlaub, and Joe Foster....the #30 Racer's Edge entry featuring Ken Dobson, Robert Thorne, Craig Stone, and Drew Staveley.... Spencer Motorsports has two of their Daytona 24 drivers confirmed in Richard Grupp and Gary Drummond with sponsorship from Trench Shoring...and finally, the Goldin Brothers entry, led by Steve and Keith Goldin, along with Jim Meassick, are confirmed for the 24 Hour with primary sponsorship is from CCM Cellular.

All of the Mazda RX-8s competing in the ROLEX GT Series are fitted with a 3 rotor Mazda R20B engine, based directly off of the street going Mazda RX-8...the 2009 version, of which, was displayed next to the #70 SpeedSource machine.
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Medicalmarijuanadispensary.Net (http://www.dispensaries.org/)

^That's the hotness.

wow,

synthetic oil on the side of an rx8.. the irony......


beers :beer:

wow,

synthetic oil on the side of an rx8.. the irony......


beers :beer:

Now I wanna ask the oil guy at Castrol what is going on with Castrol Syntec being the sponsor of the Rotary engine ? I thought its bad bad thing to do in Rotary :)

Now I wanna ask the oil guy at Castrol what is going on with Castrol Syntec being the sponsor of the Rotary engine ? I thought its bad bad thing to do in Rotary :)

I hope you don't think that John Force runs Castrol GTX High Mileage in his funny car...

http://www.dragracingonline.com/raceresults/2007/ix_2-pomona/JohnForce.jpg

+1

i doubt they run castrol synthetic.

what i really wanna kno is if the exhaust ports on that 20b are sides like the renesis or in the rotor housings like the older ones....

they SAY its based off the rx8, well, what do u mean? u kno!!!

+1

i doubt they run castrol synthetic.

what i really wanna kno is if the exhaust ports on that 20b are sides like the renesis or in the rotor housings like the older ones....

they SAY its based off the rx8, well, what do u mean? u kno!!!

The R20B is a peripheral port motor, so both intake and exhaust ports are in the rotor housings. According to this site (http://www.mulsannescorner.com/couragec65-9.html), it uses RENESIS rotor design, but doesn't have the side ports.

a race car and a street car with a warranty are two different animals

I hope you don't think that John Force runs Castrol GTX High Mileage in his funny car...

http://www.dragracingonline.com/raceresults/2007/ix_2-pomona/JohnForce.jpg

you never know buddy, you never know ... :lol: :lol: :lol:

in fact yes I think his motor has high mileage ! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: all the race that he has been thru .... aye yeah I know they rebuild it yada yada, but some parts still came from old stuff u know. :)

a race car and a street car with a warranty are two different animals

I know I know.

but my point is, isnt Synthetic pure evil to rotary? they shouldnt even mention the name on anything thats rotary related isnt it ? especially after the the Castrol dude himself decided to go with rumor instead of testing. They should stay away ! (from rotary, Syntec)

Mazda doesn't recommend synthetic engine oil for a street-operated Renesis engine. That doesn't mean it's pure evil, but they obviously have some reason why they say that. They also don't recommend all those mods you made to your RX-8, that didn't stop you though.

Now I wanna ask the oil guy at Castrol what is going on with Castrol Syntec being the sponsor of the Rotary engine ? I thought its bad bad thing to do in Rotary :)

Most racers use syntetic in theyr cars since the engine is going to be open almost every race

The new look and sponsor with Castrol for #70 is pretty cool!

http://www.speedsourceinc.com/client_images/news/3160_l.jpg

Me Too!! but it'll be harder to spot.
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PAXIL PREGNANCY (http://www.classactionsettlements.org/lawsuit/paxil/)

Yeah, but you'll be able to hear it coming. I love the sound of those cars. The sound of them screaming by sounds like heaven.

they sound even better inside. just get the best ear plugs money can buy, and cover them with a layer or two of duct tape. a bit deafening.
but brilliant sound.



only one more day till qualifying....,.

I'll be watching the #30 and all the RX-8s on Speed.

rest well for the 24!
________
LIVE SEX WEBSHOWS (http://livesexwebshows.com/)

they sound even better inside. just get the best ear plugs money can buy, and cover them with a layer or two of duct tape. a bit deafening.
but brilliant sound.



only one more day till qualifying....,.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

http://forums.grand-am.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=59&page=1#Item_7

Grand-am is adding online streaming from Cameras on track for the Daytona 24.

I hope the cameras are installed very close to the track, not far away shots like Speed, coz the quality will just suck, and worse at night. If it can be installed beside Turn 1 and in the pits it'd be awesome.
________
XKENNY (http://camslivesexy.com/cam/xkenny)

#70 Speedsource ran a 1.50.6 qualifying lap, they should be starting first on saturday, there is one more qualifying session tomorrow.
________
California dispensary (http://california.dispensaries.org/)

This looks to be a great year for the rx-8!

Thx Bern for all. They just have to keep away from those damn Kakazzee Pontiacs.

Thx Bern for all. They just have to keep away from those damn Kakazzee Pontiacs.

I meant Kamakazzee Pontiacs.

Here is a link to some good photographs of the actions so far.

http://gallery.johnthawley.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=106213

It's been a long 15 years since a RE powered racer won at the Daytona 24, so it's great to see RE power back on top of the GT class. The IMSA glory days seemed so far away!

The SpeedSource boys brought home the SpeedSource/Castrol RX-8 home ahead of a Porsche armada that was unrelenting, it was great to see... Congrats to the whole team! I communicated with John D, of Mazda, and Sylvain, SpeedSource, shortly after the race, and I can not tell you how excited and happy they were.

Guys, please feel free to leave a small message of congratulations to the boys at following the RN.COM story, as we are in direct contact with the SpeedSource squad, and they truly appreciate hearing from all the RE faithful!

http://rotarynews.com/node/view/984

We will forward all comments to the boys in the next few days!


A little history:
The win marked the first for a production-based GT-spec Mazda in the race since 1993 when Dick Greer, Al Bacon Peter Uria and Mike Mees took their RX-7 GTU to victory lane. All in all, 22 Mazda-powered entries have now triumphed at Daytona International Speedway.

The historic win also marked an end of an era for one of the manufacturer's archrivals. The 2008 race was the first time that Porsche has not at least won class in the Rolex 24 race since 1993, the year of the last Mazda victory.


Sylvain said told me right after the race.... "today is a win 4 all rotary fans"


Enjoy and Thanks,

-Bern