Very exciting, I took delivery of two Sunlight silver base model no option 6 speed RX-8's. These cars are a ball to drive. I have only taken the car to 6500rpm so far but I can tell with the modifications we have planned the car will fly. With no traction control or DSC they slide perfectly on the icy sandy roads we have in CT right now. This weekend we began gutting the interior on the first car (Car has 400 miles on it) so we can get the roll cage put in. The second car will be gutted next weekend (Car has 500 miles on it). The cars are being setup to run SCCA T-2 in the northeast, with plans of moving to Grand Am cup for the 2005 season. Check out the progress on our website www.casualracing.com hopefully we will see some of you Mazda fans at the track.

Alex:

That sounds cool. Do you give ever run up at NHIS? I'd love to go and see you run those 8's. :)

NHIS is our first race of the season. We will be there on May 1st and 2nd. We also might be there testing on April 18th if the cars are complete. Hope to see you at the track.

Alex

Alex:

That sounds cool!! Maybe I'll drum up some interest from my local Miata Club to head up to NHIS on Sun May 2nd. Can't wait to see your 8's. Thanks!

Hey, are you guys located in Norwalk?!...or just your sponsor?

-Eric

We are located in Norwalk, Some work is done at my house in Norwalk, or at a shop in Stratford.
Alex

So dam cool, good luck guys.

Keep the updates to your website coming ! The pics are great and we all will want to see the finished product. Awesome!

I wish I saw the look on the Salesman's face when you said.. "I'll take two":D

BTW...

What are you doing with all the stock interior pieces?

Are you selling the seats?

We will be selling everything, Once it is all out I will post an inventory with pictures and pricing etc. Should be done next week.

Alright!!! That's cool. I'd love to see how it performs on the track...

AlexJ,

Interesting work.....! what modifications will the engines go thourgh?

That is awesome !!!

I plan on following your progress on the website . . . that is so cool that you are taking so many pictures along the way !!!

Show everyone just what the RX8 is capable of !!

Best of luck !!!!

Great pics on your website. Please let us know when and where your going to race.

Send me an e-mail at ryan@rxtuner.com ... RX Tuner magazine might be interested in what you're doing.

Here is our schedule for the season:

May 1-2 NHIS (New Hampshire)
June 4-5 Lime Rock (Connecticut)
June 19-20 Beaver Run (Pittsburg)
July 19-20 Watkins Glen (New York)
July 23-24 Lime Rock (Connecticut)
August 20-22 Pocono (Pennsylvania)
September 20-26 Mid Ohio (Ohio)

We will also attend several regional races at either Lime Rock or NHIS for testing purposes.

We ran into some problems with the second car, it didn't seem to run right at the high RPM range. When we put it on the dyno the best we could get was in the mid 150hp range. It is back at the dealer right now and they are trying to figure it out. They flashed the computer and did several other things but it is still breaking up in the high RPM range. What a pain.

On the good side the Cage is coming along well in the first car (will have web udates shortly). We also have 24 nice new Kosei wheels and 24 Hoosier tires on the way.

Thanks for the update. I check your site every so often looking for new pics....so this is good news (about the roll cage and new wheels).

I actually never heard of what spounds like an ignition problem at high RPM's. Hopefully its just a bad coil pack. Let us know...:)

BTW theres a problem with some of the actuators which open the 3rd air ports at 7250 rpm.

tell em to look at that.

Originally posted by AlexJ
We ran into some problems with the second car, it didn't seem to run right at the high RPM range. When we put it on the dyno the best we could get was in the mid 150hp range. It is back at the dealer right now and they are trying to figure it out. They flashed the computer and did several other things but it is still breaking up in the high RPM range. What a pain.

On the good side the Cage is coming along well in the first car (will have web udates shortly). We also have 24 nice new Kosei wheels and 24 Hoosier tires on the way.


wonder how many cars have this type of problem and the owners will never know it?

My car has done this during one drive. The power just died at about 7000 rpm, with a blinking check engine light. Never has done it since. Please post what you find - I know others have seen it as well (Rob do you have anything specific or an old post that relative to the problem you mention?)

To answer flatso, it is so obvious I can't believe somebody would think it is normal, unless it did it all the time from the first drive. Even then I would hope they would complain, but you never know.

Originally posted by GeorgeH
My car has done this during one drive. The power just died at about 7000 rpm, with a blinking check engine light. Never has done it since. Please post what you find - I know others have seen it as well (Rob do you have anything specific or an old post that relative to the problem you mention?)

http://www.rx8ownersclub.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=618&highlight=power+dropoff

Didnt get a CEL, dealers aparently know about the problem, its the actuator (electic motor) that opens the VFD port at 7250rpm.

Mine must have been sticky or something as its been fine for the last 4k.

No stuttering , just a decreased acceleration instead of liniar increase.

BERG Racing checking in. We are building the cages in Alex's cars and I'm happy to say they are coming along well. I took some more pix today and Alex will be hosting them soon on his page. These cars never stop amazing me. This is by far the strongest chassis I have ever built a cage for. It will be one hell of a race car. Look for us including my lowly rx7 at a track near you.

Originally posted by BERG Racing
BERG Racing checking in. We are building the cages in Alex's cars and I'm happy to say they are coming along well. I took some more pix today and Alex will be hosting them soon on his page. These cars never stop amazing me. This is by far the strongest chassis I have ever built a cage for. It will be one hell of a race car. Look for us including my lowly rx7 at a track near you.

Can I ask what your doing with the rear door? are you welding it shut?

For this class of racing (SCCA T2) you are not allowed to too heavily modify the car. In fact the cars will look very close to stock with the exception of wheels suspension and saftey equipment. So to answer your question the door will remain operational.

New car....so what engine mods are you gonna hook up! :)

The cars are progressing well. I have updated the website with new pictures. www.casualracing.com
I will be picking the first car up this afternoon and the second car will be going in for its cage at the end of the week.
As far as engine modifications we are limited to engine management and exhaust. Other then that the engine must remain stock.
Thanks, Alex

love the constructions shots

Alex and John, thanks for the updates and keep them coming!

Can you give more details as to where the New York comp is? Im interested in coming to watch

What did the problem at high RPM end up being on one of the cars? You said it felt like it was breaking up.

The New York race is in Western New York, just north of Elmira. It is about 5 hours from NYC. Lime Rock is in North Western CT right on the New York border. This is about 2 hours from NYC. Hope to see you at the races.

Alex

Everything is moving along well, the first car is very close to completion. We are still waiting on the shock, but hopefully next week. After that all that is left is the alignment and the exhaust system.
Berg racing is close to completing the cage in the second car and we will be working hard to get that car ready for testing on April 18th.
I will have website updates after the weekend.

Alex

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sorry...

;-)

Progress is going well on the two cars. I have updated my web site with lots of new construction photos, check it out www.casualracing.com
Also check out the photo gallary I posted some pictures of our previous cars.
Looks like we will make it out for testing at Lime Rock on April 17th and to NHIS for our first race on May 1st.
Alex

awesome. thanks for the update.

Alex

Extremely cool...good luck this season. Will be there to cheer you on a Mid Ohio.

Look forward to following your progress.

It has been awhile since the last update, but things have been busy. Both cars are now complete and have run their first race last weekend and NHIS. Results were promising. The cars qualified 3rd and 4th, and ended up finishing 3rd and a DNF do to a blown clutch. Check out our website for the full story, some pictures from the race and the last of the construction photos. http://www.casualracing.com Come check us out at our next race June 5th at Lime Rock Park.

Alex

Very cool, keep us in the loop on your season.

Alex,

I thought that you guys did an amazing job considering that it was the first time you have had the cars out on the track. Keep up the good work!

Check ou the web site I posted some in car video from the New Hampshire race. That is the "08" RX-8 and a Honda S-2000 infront of me. www.casualracing.com
Alex

Wow, great video.