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I'm looking to get some input from those of you who have made the switch from stock class to STX (I know there are many former B-stockers on here). What do you guys think of the RX-8 in STX trim, compared to stock? Would you say it's easier or harder to drive at the limit? More fun? Would you do it all over again based on how competitive you are in STX vs stock locally and nationally?
I ran in CS last season and before I decide what to do this year, I want to hear other people's thoughts and experiences. I would love to drive a decently prepped STX RX-8 so I can get some of the answers myself, but there aren't any local to me.
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If you lived locally to me, I'd offer you a co-drive in my modestly prepped STX car. I got input from a few experienced people on setting up my car (Strano) and I can honestly say that my car is easier to drive in STX trim than it was when I ran in Stock. Everyone who's driven my STX car has commented on how easy it is to find the limit.
You have to decide what's best for you, but for me personally, I don't regret the switch. I have a car that's a blast to drive on the street, and now that my basic STX set-up is in place, I can get my "auto-x fix" each year with just a $600 set of tires (I went with 17x9" wheels).
Good luck in your decision. I'm looking forward to being back in stock class this year in my friend's G-stock MSP.
Thanks for the feedback, Chike! My reasons to consider STX are very similar to yours. I like the cost and ease of running on street tires, and I know the car will be a blast on the street with a better suspension (it handles great already on the Konis). I also think that street tires will be a good learning experience for me since I started out in Stock and never did the recommended 'first season on street tires'.
I put a set of 245 RS-3s on the stock wheels and after a couple of events, I'm pleasantly surprised by the grip but my current setup is definitely not optimized for street tires. I'm estimating that the car is about 1.5s slower on the RS-3s than it was on Hoosiers on a 60s course, and I wonder how much of that deficit a mild STX setup can make up for (17x9s, ASTs or Bilsteins, cat, light exhaust). If the car can be as competitive in STX with a couple of bolt-ons as it has been in CS on a local level, I will be very happy.
I like my RX-8 much better in STX trim than in BS (now CS) trim. Super fun to drive on the street and on an autocross course. Like Chike, I've had national and near-national champions drive my car and come back giggling. It's a blast.
To me, the best mods, in terms of increasing the fun-factor of the car, are, in order:
1. Good set of coilovers setup well.
2. 9" wheels with good tires.
3. Good race seat that dropped me 2". LOVE the driving position & the more intimate car-driver interface.
4. High-flow mid-pipe coupled with a good tune. OK that's two items.
As for competitiveness at a national scale, the BMWs are a tough target, but that's what makes it fun, right? The right driver/car combo could win STX in an RX-8, IMO. But making the car fast nationally is WAY more work than a CS car. Keep that in mind.
But from a fun-factor, I say go for it! It's a blast.
Would you do it all over again based on how competitive you are in STX vs stock locally and nationally?
I ran in CS last season and before I decide what to do this year, I want to hear other people's thoughts and experiences. I would love to drive a decently prepped STX RX-8 so I can get some of the answers myself, but there aren't any local to me.
I have never won a national trophy in many years of competing in STOCK classes. Mainly because I didn't have the "right" car that can be leased and prepped to the Strano level. I was able to consistently win regional/divisional stock classes for a number of years in three different used cars tho'.
I did get one 6th place Nat'l trophy in a top rated borrowed car (at age 55) that I had never driven before the actual competition at Topeka Nationals in SM when I lived in OH with a very short season so raced every single weekend rain or shine.
Moral to the story: Don't expect to win a trophy at Lincoln in a stock class unless you have 'the' new car with $8000 shocks, etc. I am now running STX locally in SCCA at age 64 instead of CS in my bone stock 60k, RX8 simply because I can win sometimes on street tires (180wear) as opposed to losing to the same well driven area Miatae on race rubber by 4/10th of a second on a 47 second course 'everytime'. I used to compete on M+S tires in a stock 86 Mustang GT losing 'everytime' to the same well prepped 07 Mustang Gt!! That gets old after a couple years.
My next set of tires will be 245's and 140wear Maybe then I can go back to CS locally?
If you run Ladie's Class at the big events you can do well sometimes in a borrowed car BUT in the open classes they don't seem to realize there is no money in this sport!! Kind of like dog shows. Pay someone to show the dog and win a trophy for you + have a tire warmer go first.
The 'other' (real) reason I run STX is because I hate changing tires twice a day!! Kills my back.
**The current hot shoes in the SCCA Central FL region who win FTD all the time AND their classes finished in the teens (well out of the trophies) at Lincoln the last two years that I looked. Guess that should tell you something?!
I doubt I'll spend the $2000+ for new tires, gas, lodging, etc. needed to go to Lincoln Nationals again (for 6 minutes of fun and a hat). Although I know many who still do. Some still win. Including Sam Strano.
Hope this helps you. My Topeka 6th place wooden trophy is one of my fondest racing memories The other ones are in a box in the attic I think?
Doug
__________________
2004 RX-8 Touring, 6spd, new motor @ 55k
Mods = K&N + 3 Row Mizu
1984 GSL-SE Sold 1998 1999 MX5 SE Sold 2009 RX-8 is cure for early onset Dementia.
Last edited by twistedwankel; 01-31-2011 at 09:16 PM.
Interesting story, but $8k shocks are not needed to trophy in CS at nats. And, this year, there were four different cars in the trophies in CS - MX-5, 370Z, Boxster, and RX-8.
You do, however, have to be fast two days in a row. Or at least have one *really* fast day, which is how I trophied in STX in 2009. I do agree with you, however, that winnnig a trophy at nats is a good memory. Hope I do it again.
To me, the best mods, in terms of increasing the fun-factor of the car, are, in order:
1. Good set of coilovers setup well.
2. 9" wheels with good tires.
3. Good race seat that dropped me 2". LOVE the driving position & the more intimate car-driver interface.
4. High-flow mid-pipe coupled with a good tune. OK that's two items.
As for competitiveness at a national scale, the BMWs are a tough target, but that's what makes it fun, right? The right driver/car combo could win STX in an RX-8, IMO. But making the car fast nationally is WAY more work than a CS car. Keep that in mind.
I appreciate the advice. I do agree, if I were to go through with it, coilovers would be the first thing on my list. I really like the ASTs on paper, but we'll see what my budget will allow. For tires, I'd start out on the RS-3s I already have on the stock wheels. That should give me a good enough idea of what STX is like and how competitive the car will be locally. Then I can decide if I want to go all out.
As for national competition, yeah, it doesn't get any easier than throwing on a set of Konis and running CS. Either way, I doubt I'll be taking the car to any national events unless I can find a co-driver. So I'll be borrowing rides again, and hopefully I'll get to drive an STX RX-8 before I decide whether to build my own!
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeorgeH
But from a fun-factor, I say go for it! It's a blast.
I'm one step closer now, after reading your post!
Quote:
Originally Posted by twistedwankel
I am now running STX locally in SCCA at age 64 instead of CS in my bone stock 60k, RX8 simply because I can win sometimes on street tires (180wear) as opposed to losing to the same well driven area Miatae on race rubber by 4/10th of a second on a 47 second course 'everytime'. I used to compete on M+S tires in a stock 86 Mustang GT losing 'everytime' to the same well prepped 07 Mustang Gt!! That gets old after a couple years.
My next set of tires will be 245's and 140wear Maybe then I can go back to CS locally?
Have we met in Brooksville? I've been there a few times in CS in the RX-8 and I know the exact '07 GT you speak of. I hope we get to run against each other next time I'm up there.
I can still do okay in CS locally on street tires. At the last event, I would have been 3rd out of 12 if I had run CS (scratch time would've been 2nd). But I was still too far from the top in PAX, even with the STX index. Of course, it's going to take me some time to adjust to street tires coming from R-comps. But I want to be able to hang with the fast drivers locally and I know that comes at a price (whether I do an STX build, or stay in CS and get R-comps again... maybe a track compound this time).
Quote:
Originally Posted by twistedwankel
If you run Ladie's Class at the big events you can do well sometimes in a borrowed car BUT in the open classes they don't seem to realize there is no money in this sport!! Kind of like dog shows. Pay someone to show the dog and win a trophy for you + have a tire warmer go first.
Hehe, I like open class at national events (although I've run Ladies when I was a 3rd driver or when there is a really strong ladies class like at Nationals or L1 at ProSolos). I'd much rather co-drive with someone fast in open class and learn something than win an easy medal or plastic license plate or whatever it is that they hand out for trophies.
But I get your point though, pouring tons of money into prepping a car = law of diminishing returns. Hence the ever-so-popular stock classes.
>Have we met in Brooksville? I've been there a few times in CS in the RX-8 and I know the exact '07 GT you speak of. I hope we get to run against each other next time I'm up there.
Now that you mention it ... Teddy? You and David have entertained me in the past with your gutsy quick driving on more than one occassion. You both weighed heavily in my decision to get an RX8.
Next time you come up here there's always the fun runs you can compare my bone stock original Touring car with new engine, cat, coolant reservoir and oil pan with your's. Or if you want you can always co-drive mine. Be warned the sunroof option makes one's helmet get stuck in the overhead at a weird angle. It's only flaw.
Doug
__________________
2004 RX-8 Touring, 6spd, new motor @ 55k
Mods = K&N + 3 Row Mizu
1984 GSL-SE Sold 1998 1999 MX5 SE Sold 2009 RX-8 is cure for early onset Dementia.
I like my RX-8 much better in STX trim than in BS (now CS) trim. Super fun to drive on the street and on an autocross course. Like Chike, I've had national and near-national champions drive my car and come back giggling. It's a blast.
To me, the best mods, in terms of increasing the fun-factor of the car, are, in order:
1. Good set of coilovers setup well.
2. 9" wheels with good tires.
3. Good race seat that dropped me 2". LOVE the driving position & the more intimate car-driver interface.
4. High-flow mid-pipe coupled with a good tune. OK that's two items.
As for competitiveness at a national scale, the BMWs are a tough target, but that's what makes it fun, right? The right driver/car combo could win STX in an RX-8, IMO. But making the car fast nationally is WAY more work than a CS car. Keep that in mind.
But from a fun-factor, I say go for it! It's a blast.
Now that you mention it ... Teddy? You and David have entertained me in the past with your gutsy quick driving on more than one occassion. You both weighed heavily in my decision to get an RX8.
Next time you come up here there's always the fun runs you can compare my bone stock original Touring car with new engine, cat, coolant reservoir and oil pan with your's. Or if you want you can always co-drive mine. Be warned the sunroof option makes one's helmet get stuck in the overhead at a weird angle. It's only flaw.
Doug
Ah, yeah, last year we had our share of entertaining moments on course in the 8. Me especially.
Glad to have influenced someone to get an RX-8! Next time I come up, I'll be happy to trade cars for a run or maybe we can at least ride along with each other.
So far, I've had two in the driver's spot. A Bride, and a Sparco. I prefer the driving position of the bride (lower) and I barely fit into it - it's super tight (34-35 waist size). Down side is that it's a little short and I have to pull the cushion out to get my helmet low enough to pass regs, and the shoulder supportrs are a little low. I'm 6' tall.
The Sparco fits my upper body better, but I can't get it as low and it's a little loose in the seat. Much more comfortable for daily driving, however.
The Sparco was borrowed and I'll probably be back in the Bride this season, which I'm looking forward to from a driving position standpoint. It does limit who can co-drive with me, which cand be a good thing and a bad thing.
David seemed to like my STX car at the Toledo Pro, and he did pretty well in it, right? And mine isn't even very well prepped. I'm just on coilover-ed Konis, heavy 17x9 5Zigen wheels with 265 Dunlops and a midpipe.
When I switched my car over from stock class trim, I thought I would really miss the grip of the big Hoosiers, but the car ended up being so fun to drive that I really don't at all. It no longer has the crazy body roll that it used to have, so transitions are crisper. Ultimate grip must be down, but I don't notice that nearly as much as I notice the improvement in response from better supported tires and higher roll rates. We were still doing nearly 1.2g at the turnaround in Toledo anyway.
Would you do it all over again based on how competitive you are in STX vs stock locally and nationally? 
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