CERAMICSEAL

For those of you who are unaware I thought I should inform and remind. The Daytona 24 hr race is in progress and there are 2 RX8s doing quite well in the GT class. It's on Speed channel right now and there's a thread about it in our Racing section of the forum.

shinka213

ive got in on!!
what place are the 8s in?

RX8Maine

Thanks for the heads-up!

DarkBrew

Woo hoo! Thanks for the heads-up!

CERAMICSEAL

You're welcome folks. I'm heading to church and will resume watching when I return.

RX8Maine

There's only one problem with the Speed Channel coverage. The camera crews, producers, directors, and editors don't seem to realize that there are GT cars on the track. Its basically a Daytona Prototype kit car race with an occasional glimse of a production car. Boring.

JRichter

I know. Nothing about the Daytona Prototype kit cars interest me a bit. I've been lucky to catch a glimpse of the RX-8s when the cookie-cutter prototype cars are near them.

When will America (who probably has more cars and drivers than any other country in the world) get proper motorsport coverage?

volk

probably never.

prescriptionmazda

I Concur.

The speed channel coverage basically covers the car that is in the current lead, or one having problems. I've only seen the 8's a few times in about 2 hours...

mdw1000

Looks like they finished 4th and 7th in class - good job guys!

CERAMICSEAL

I believe that to be correct out of something like 43 cars, the largest GT field they've ever had. Very impressive.

JeRKy 8 Owner

What was with the 3 rotor bs in the title of this thread? Those were banned from races I thought.

Go48

Yep, and they sounded very, very sweet! There were 4, 3-rotor cars entered in the race, but the other 2 DNF'ed. Now to make the 13-hour drive home.

CERAMICSEAL

By who and when? Please enlighten us.

beachdog

The #70 and #69 cars finished 15th and 17th overall. #70 was pretty banged up on the left front. I was there and took pictures but won't know if they came out until I get home tomorrow.

Even with your back to the track you know when the rotaries are coming.

hunter84

I made it to the race a couple of years ago and had a great time - it was cold and wet but to be so close to the action getting access to the garage unlike anyother major form of auto racing was amazing.

That year the best sounding car was the Maserati coupes entered in the GT category - problem was they sounded great but the Porsche's whomped them and every other GT car that year. It's good to see that the 8's not only sounded good but were competitive. That track layout is not the ideal layout for them - they will win a couple of races this year at some of the more "pure" roadcourse events.

I'm with you guys on the coverage but on the upside they did interview Randy Pobst a couple of times he was part of the 4th place car's driver lineup.

Rasper

Yeah, I pretty much stayed glued to the TV hoping for any glimps of the 8's. I thought the 70 car did well but what's goin' on with Pontiac? I didn't see them coming ..... lot's of torque!

rotarygod

Back in the 80's they were banned from many racing series but only after absolutely dominating them. In 1992 there was a rules change for LeMans cars that basically made the rotary noncompetitive. They weren't banned. They were just resticted in size to the point that they couldn't do well anymore. Fortunately rules and racing organizations change over the years. Rotaries can race. Speedsource had a very nice 3 rotor out there and there was the BK Motorsports 3 rotor LeMans car (Courage) running for the past 2 years until they (turned their back and) went with the new 4 cylinder engine. Rotaries can still race. Some people still use them. They just fit into the rulebook a bit differently than they once did.

beachdog

Those Pontiac G6's shouldn't have even been allowed in the race. This is Grand Am not NASCAR. There is no such thing as a front engine V8 rear wheel drive G6. I got to look at the G6 in the pits and the engine was shifted so far back that the driver sat in the equivalent of the back seat. More like a front-mid-engine configuration. They were running the same engines that the GTOs were running last year. Last year the GTOs were the best sounding V8s on the track, this year it had to be the Mustang Cobra but the Mustang didn't last too long.

Endgame

[QUOTE=hunter84]It's good to see that the 8's not only sounded good but were competitive. That track layout is not the ideal layout for them - they will win a couple of races this year at some of the more "pure" roadcourse events.

You hit the nail on the head. Speedsource and the RX8's were competitive. Daytona is a horsepower track, not especially suited to the 8. Speedsource almost won a race last year; lost by inches. They will win a few this year. I CAN'T WAIT!!!