Track Report-Indianapolis Raceway Park & Rotary Revolution
 

Note: Original Title of this was "Bad MPG one thing, but 8 MPG????"

Yea, we all know that milage is "less than stellar" on our beloved Eights. But this afternoon I only go 8.2 MPG!

What the F?

I mean, just because I was on a closed course (Indianapolis Raceway Park), and "cruising" at 80 MPH while in 3rd gear, with much higher bursts.

A typical lap: (Click for Track Map )

Scream down the drag strip, upshifting to 4th and maxing at about 110mph. Hard on the brakes to about 90, downshift to 3rd, enter turn 1 at about 75, hold till the apex, put the foot back into it briefly, get up to about 85, tap the brakes very briefly, into turn 2.

Turn 2 is criticle because it sets you up for turns 3, 4 and 5 also. Blow 2, and you've blown 4 turns.

Blow thru 2,3,4 & 5 using the throttle almost as much as the steering wheel to make the car go where you want!

Exit Turn 5 still in 3rd doing about 80 on to the short back staight , upshift to 4th for a second or 2, then downshift back to 3rd and stand on the breaks, turn in just past the large black patch (my 8 didnt like the patch), hug the apex and sacrifice a bit of speed. Taking this turn a little slow sets you up very good for turn 7 and 8 which actualy become a straightaway! Keep the foot into it the entire time, around 8, at first "crosswalk", stand on the brakes (doing about 90mph right now) down to about 50, 2nd cone past the 2nd crosswalk (50 feet later?) is the turnin point for turn 9...take this clean as it sets you up for 10 & 11.

Quick slalom thru 10 & 11, foot in it all the way, a brief upshift to 4th for those much better than me on the straight, then back down to 3rd and stand on the brakes down to about 50. At the driveway turn hard right to enter into turn 12 and HANG ON! Hug the apex in the last 3rd of the turn (which we shortened by being patient on the turnin!) and accelerating but not "hard".

As you drift out of 12, start getting on the gas hard thru 13 and 14 with a brief lift going into 14, heavy accelerate out of 14 up to about 80, stand on the brakes again, enjoy the smell of fresh bruning brake pads <g>), down to about 45 (still in 3rd) in an incredibly short distance. I activated the ABS more times than not entering turn 15!. But aim the eight at the first cone...right before hitting it, turn left into the sweeping turn between the grandstands and back on the gas into turn 15a on onto the drag strip! Down the drag strip and runout area with the pedal to the metal, up to 4th gear and about 110 or 111mph. This is the ONLY place that the souped up Gen 3 RX7's beat me....Horse power counts on this long straightaway.

So, back to my Beef! ONLY 8mph! But, about a zillion smiles per mile on this tight and technical course...priceless!

The Revolution was well worth it! This is the FIRST time I've been on a track and folks, it has ruined me for street racing! There is just NO way you could come close to this on the streets. I'm not talking about the law or safety, you just cant do it!

And oh yea, repeat the above for about 25 minutes and you will have to stop and rest! I can run a marathon, but couldnt stay out much longer than 30 minutes at a time.

I'm HOOKED! I WILL be doing this again! The Sooner the better!

Oh yea, Saturday there was an Auto Cross....that was a blast also...but NOTHING compared with the IRP Road Course.

What an awsome weekend and thanks to Mike & Arron for bring us the Rotary Revolution! Worth every penny it cost me.

Bob in Indy and ALL smiles today!

There are faster ways around this track. My description is what I as a middle aged blading man who has never been on a track before did...Dont know what my lap times where and dont really care. But I do know one thing, I HAD FUN!!!! More fun than you are supposed to have in a car.

Folks, we have a LOT MORE car under our butts then most of us think. And mine is box-stock. If Mazda was smart, they would subsidize a driving school using RX8's. No way anybody could take a class and NOT immediatly run out and buy an Eight!

Bob in Indy

When you finally wipe that shit eating grin off your face...Maybe we should all call the 1-800 number to register your complaint!

Sounds like a great time. You lucky SOB

Nice description of your trip around the track. You should retitle your thread. I'm sure others would like to read it, but mistake it for another whiney mpg thread.

Eight mpg around the track doesn't sound unusual. If we all drove on the fwy in third, I doubt we'd do much better.

Glad to hear someone else truly enjoying their RX8. I get around 8mpg on the track myself. It is worth it.

Starbucks,

Took your advice and retitled the thread. I get tired of the MPG bitching also. That's why this one was tounge in cheek.

If I cared about gas milage, I would have bought a Honda Hybrid. The 8 is pure and simple for fun.

I do think the track experiance makes me a safer driver. Not for the obvious reasons that I have a better Idea of how to take a corner, but for one more subtle: Road racing is like jacking off and now I've had <insert hot babe/dude of choice>!

So I suspect I'll be much more mellow in the future and save it for the track!.

Bob in Indy....still with a shit eat'n grin!