Is the RX-8 an autocross car?
 

Of all the racing threads I read, by far the majority are autocross related. I have seen a few people take their cars to the track, Taka, some dude a road atlanta and a few others, but not very many. Why is this? Do people like autocross that much? or maybe there aren't many tracks down in the US around most people. I don't know, just seems strange to me.

because autocross is cheaper to get into compared to track driving

of course, the cost of autoxing will rise to almost comparable to track days once you get serious and actually want to compete to win ;)

it can't be that much cheaper. How much does a autocross day cost?

also, the inherent risk in track driving is greater than autocross. if you make a mistake in autox, most of the time you'll only have some cone rash on the front bumper that can be easily buffed off, you make a mistake while going high speed on the track... who knows what's gonna hit you :o

What timmay said and RX8s seem to clean up in autox.

Nice patch, BTW.

an autocross event entry fee is usually somewhere around $25-$35 depending on who you're competing with.

a track day starts at least around $150 for a 1-day event, usually more.

holy shit man, it's about 80-100 dollars up here canadian for a Solo I day. Private track days could be more though.

yea the $150 US is more referring to 'driving school/events' where you get an instructor to help you learn the track while you go round 'n round 'n roung :o

actually, most driving events that I've looked up usually cost around $300-350 for a 2-day event....

hmm, I guess that might explain a little of it, that is pretty rich.

I wonder how the 8 does in Solo I.

BUT, if you consider actual 'track time' per dollar, track days are actually a 'bigger bang' for the buck, pardon the 'bang' pun :o

that's always been my impression of it. I did autocross a couple times, just co-drove so I didn't catch the registration/fee parts of it, but I found the track days to be more fulfilling. That's why I am suprised that so few do it.

Calculated in terms of seat time, track events are a better dollar value. Considered in terms of risk (going off course), reward (negotiating turns) and convenience (venue location) autocross starts to become more attractive. Then there are people who just love seat time and do both.

I do both but my wife will only autocross 'cause she's afraid of losing control at speed on a track. Meanwhile she has no qualms doing IPSC events. Go figure.
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FOXYANALL

people get sticker shock by the upfront money for track days

but after they do it, many people have converted to track junkies instead of cone dodgers, myself included :D

I have to be honest. The first time I passed another car, even though he waved my by (no passing in the events unless waived by), I felt like I took the lead on the last lap of the 24hrs of Lemans. That's what keeps me going back to the track. Years later, I can safely say passing is probably my favourite thing about wheel to wheel racing. Gets the old heart going.

I prefer track. Autocross is simply not cost-effective. In Auto-X events, I burn off more rubber than a DE event at Texas World Speedway, and spend $25 to run the course at most 6 times, at ~60 seconds apiece. I spend 250 for lodging AND entry into a 2 day event for a track day, and get 200 minutes on-course.

Take all of this into account, and also the incomparable feeling of being waved by a Carrera GT or Vanquish, and you can see why I prefer track.

I actually still attend both types of event, because of the disparity of hitting 125 on the back straight of TWS and never taking it out of 2nd gear in autocross.

:O CGT!! I would shit myself if I got waived by one of those. I passed a competition coupe in a NX2000 race car on a practice day once. Seeing that blue flag waiving at him made me almost bust my helmet open from grinning

The benefit of autox is that you can push the car to 100% of its limits the whole time without much fear. You can't do that on the track.

We spent more to prep for autocross than we do or ever will for track events.

Example:
Race-prepped Boxster S, M030 euro-spec replacement suspension, Carrera wheels, Kumho Victoracers or Hoosiers, trailer, trailer hitch fabbed up to tow behind the Porsche...etc etc.

I dont change a damn thing for my RX-8 for track days. There's no classing so there's no need.

Lemme figure out how to post a pic of my first track day, it was quite intimidating.

Here goes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...r/1057bf94.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...Picture047.jpg

First pic is of just noobs with me. I'm the guy with the SMU shirt on next to the 8. The CGT experience was probably once in a lifetime, I was more of an experienced driver than he was. Not quite fair when he was hitting 140 on the back straight and I'd have to decide to upshift or not when i'd hit 117 (top of the gear) before having to downshift in an immediate turn.

Depends on your confidence with the car, track and your threshold of fear I suppose.

The last time I remeber getting scared was when I was two wide coming around a blind downhill coner and there was a car spinning out in the middle of the track. I had three choices
1) wall (though, probbly would have lost it trying to turn in harder)
2) hit spinning car head on
3) Pray the car beside me swerves onto the grass to give me room to go around, otherwise, push him onto the grass.

I chose 3, thank god the other guy made that choice to, otherwise I would have had to get all rubbins racing on his ass.!!

how the heck did you get THAT deal!?!?? $250 for both lodging and track time!!! that's huge bargaiN!! :eek:

Nice pics Michael, I wish we got those type of cars out to our track days!!

Dunno, gift from my father, he brought the Porsche and I met him in College Station. Lodging (1 room for 2 people) and 2 cars was a total of $500.

Lone star region PCA website should probably indicate the same.