Again, Congrats to any of the National champions who own, drive and Autocross the RX-8.

 

link?

 

Geesh,

SCCA.ORG

 

B Stock: Jason Isley, Ladera Ranch, Calif., Mazda RX8, Second-straight B Stock Championship
B Stock L: Anna Hedly Goeke, Kirkland, Wash., Mazda RX8, Second-Straight title, third overall




Driver is important but

Who said 8 sucks ?

 

Just the whiners.

 

RX8s took 11 of the top 13 positions in B Stock Pro Solo. The other two places were 350zs.
Certainly driving is a major factor in the winning but obviously RX8s are the car of choice in this division. So many people complain about the performance of this car but for the second year in a roll the RX8 sweeped the B Stock class.
SSCA

 

Pretty much why I bought mine.
The dealer had one with exactly what I wanted on it. NOTHING. cept 6 speed sport package and the spare tire carrier. (strut tower bace).

 

what other cars are eligible to run in this class ?

 

From the SCCA National Solo Rules, 2006 Edition:

B Stock (BS)

BMW
M Coupe & Roadster (‘96-’00)
M3 (E30)
M3 (E36)
Z3 6cyl NOC

Chevrolet
Corvette (‘63-’82)

Chrysler
Prowler

Ferrari
308, 328

Honda
S2000

Jaguar
XKE (6- and 12-cyl)

Lotus
Elan RWD
Esprit
Europa Twin Cam
Europa, Renault engine

Maserati
Biturbo

Mazda
RX-7 Turbo (’87-’91)
RX-8

Mercedes
SLK

Morgan
Plus 8

Mini
Cooper S (John Cooper “Works” package) (‘06+)

Nissan
300ZX Turbo (‘90+)
350Z

Plymouth
Prowler

Porsche
911, non-turbo, NOC
911 Club Sport
914/6
928 (all)
944 (16V)
944 Turbo (all)
968
Carrera 2, Carrera 4 (964 chassis)
356 Carrera 4-cam

Toyota
MR2 Turbo

TVR
8-cyl and V6

 

Thanks for that - so how come there doesn't seem to be any of the other brands running ?

 

For one, that list is old and wrong. Also, there are a lot of frontrunners in auto-x and a lot of stock classes end up being mostly one car with a sprinkling of some other cars.

 

Yee Haw

 

How sad, the 8 can only do well in autox.

 

Thats an honor, not a shortcoming.

 

The SCCA National Solo Rules, 2006 Edition, is "old and wrong?" Explain please?

It looks like about 2/3 of the entries in B Stock were RX-8's (26 of 38 ). The rest was mostly Nissan 350Z and Toyota MR2. See Entry List

 

isn't autox track about the size of a parking lot though?

 

Obviously there are lots of people here who know nothing of this type of activity called "Autocross"

It is fast and very difficult to do well. Many road racers don't like it because it is more like controlled Chaos. Yes it can be done in a parking lot but airfields are better. shortest courses around 30 seconds longest I have done were 70 ish seconds.

Drag racers normally get thier butt kicked till they learn how to really drive a car.

Course Speeds are "supposed" to be limited to 60 MPH for stock cars and prepared cars can occasionally exceed that. I do alot. I pull 1.4 Lateral G's in my 914. the RX-8 is not quite as high as that but it depends on tires.

If you think it is easy go try it.

 

Didn't say it was easy, Just never found a reason to race anyone in a parking lot?

 

A reason? How 'bout improving your skills?

If you write off autocross because it's in a parking lot, then you got no clue. Sure, anyone can run, but fast times are hard. The top guys have mad skills, and are usually great solo 1 racers too.

With this dominance, I wonder if they'll bump up the RX8 to A stock, like they did with the S2000.

 

Wouldn't the entries be the ones that actually made it that far which would suggest that the RX8s and 350Zs were the best contenders in B-Stock but not neccesarily the only cars entering throughout the year. I'm not sure how cars are chosen for the Finals but I do know throughout the year locally there are lots of other models enterered in B-Stock. Asx for the idea tht RX8 is only competitive in autoX, What other racing do any of these models do in stock form.

My point is that the RX8 competes well with other cars when the course requires tight curves. It is not as fast on straights but then if you want a car to drag race you don't want any sports car.

 

That list is old. The S2000 got moved to A Stock for the '05 season. B Stock is primarily RX-8s and 350Zs, with the odd MR2 Turbo, Porsche 968, BMW Z3 Coupe, and E36 M3 showing up.

Lemme guess - you'd rather race someone on the street?

Autocrossing isn't for everyone, but if you want to learn how to extract the most out of your car, it's a great place to learn. Becoming a better autocrosser will also make you a better - and safer - driver on the street, because it will teach you how your car responds at the limit, and it will also teach you to look ahead and anticipate what is about to happen.

I've found that most people who knock autocrossing *think* they are good drivers... until they try it. Then one of two things happens: A) their ego gets in the way, they blame their poor times on the other driver's equipment or on cheating, and they go back to wherever they came from, or B) they realize that they've got a lot to learn about really driving a car at the limit, and they get involved in the sport.

Which type are you?

Iain
(13th out of 36 in B Stock in a borrowed car this year - let's hear it for trophy fodder! )

 

I agree completely that auto crossing will show you just how much you have to learn about driving. Although I havce never tried it myself in the RX8.

 

on the other hand once you drive on a race track, you can never go back to autox. the fun factor and excitement is much greater on a race track. I went to driving the school at summit point in WV, and it was the most viceral driving experience Ive ever had. too bad I cant afford to pick it up as a real hobby

 

I've got plenty of time trials and track days under my belt, but I still spend plenty of time autocrossing. The two are totally different, and emphasize different skill sets, to some degree. I compare a good open track session to yoga or zen meditation - a good session leaves me totally relaxed and quite mellow once I get into a real rhythm with the track. An excellent autocross run, on the other hand, has almost the exact opposite effect on me, leaving my adrenalin pumping and my hands shaking.

I enjoy both, but I don't find track time to be a good substitute for autocrossing, any more than I find a excellently aged single malt to be a good substitute for a perfectly brewed beer.

 

you say that as if "well they were ALL rx-8's so no big accomplishemnt..."
i know NOTHING about autocross, but doesnt this mean that everyone competing is choosing the best car for the race? the fact that the majority of the cars were rx-8's shouldnt shed negative light on the car...quite the opposite i would think.