idriverx8

I just finished racing my local auto x and I got a 1st place in B Stock. We race primarily on 2 surfaces. One is asphalt that has some sort of sealant on it that makes it slick as hell. The other is 50 year old concrete at Wendover , NV (grippy as hell). I do really well on the concrete and not so well on the asphalt. There is one guy in my class that I have been gauging myself against. He has pretty much dominated me this year (he drives a 350Z with all the mods you can do and still stay in B Stock). I beat him once on the concrete and this is the first time I beat him on the asphalt. I beat him by over a second and was only 2 seconds off fastest time of day.
I would like to clarify that I am not bragging. I realize that he could have had an off day. I am just really excited about this car. Thanks a lot Tim I really appreciate your help. I would recommend that anyone who autocrosses get the alignment that Tim recommended to me it really made a difference. I dont notice it at all on the freeway but when I turn what a difference. The coolest thing to me is that I am still majorly an auto x rookie and I know that I can still get much faster.

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Originally Posted by idriverx8
Thanks in advance if you resond to me.
I am looking to get an alignment to make me a little faster in auto x. My car is my daily driver so I dont want to go too crazy.I race with 245/35/18 Hoosier A3S03 tires I also have a racing beat front sway. It seems to me you are the fastest and most experienced RX8 autocrosser out there. Any advice or help would be greatly apprieciated.

Thanks again BJ Davis idriverx8@yahoo.com


BJ,

I also drive mine daily (16000 miles so far) and I have settled on the following alignment to be the best:

FRONT

-1.5 Camber
0.0 Toe
5.5 degrees of Caster (slightly less than stock, but necessary to get the Camber)

REAR

-1.0 Camber
.12 TOTAL toe in (.06 each side)

Not only are these settings within the stock range for the RX-8, they also give it instant turn-in and JUST enough oversteer (if you get the corner right) to allow you to point the car wherever you need it to go.

I also have almost 12000 miles on this alignment, and the stock street tires are wearing pretty good. I think they will easily last until 20000, which is GREAT for a 140 treadwear number.

The only thing to remember is that this alignment was done with me in the car, so this is the alignment with the car on the ground. There is NO point in getting the alignment perfect with no weight in the car - you can't drive it like that, and it WILL change with the driver in the car!

The only real difference is that we are using the 275/35/18 A3S04's Hoosiers, as we determined that the 245's weren't enough tire for our driving style.......

And, the A3S04's turn in WAY better than the A3S03's ever did. We have used two sets of the 03's (three if you count the 245's) and two sets of the 04's, and there is no comparison. This WILL affect your alignment choice.

Let me know what you come up with, and how it feels to you....

Thanks,

Tim
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Ike

A 350Z dominating BS, that's the first time I've ever heard of anything like that... Do you not have many S2Ks in your region, or are they just poorly driven S2Ks?


Regardless, being new to autox and winning your class is a great accomplishment. I'm sure there are many guys out there that will never win their class no matter how manys years they race, congrats!

idriverx8

Ike thanks,
Locally there are no S2000's (well ocasionally one shows up but yeah I think not very well driven). I went to a national pro solo at Wendover and there were about 10 S2000's and they dominated. They were amazing drivers and would have placed well in both A Stock And Super Stock. I personally think the S2000 will end up in A Stock just for that reason.
http://www.scca.com/_Filelibrary/Fil...4wupro-sun.pdf


Look at last years results at this same event the winner in B stock would have won A Stock and taken 3rd in super stock.(thats just ridiculous)

http://www.scca.com/_Filelibrary/Fil...ndover-pro.pdf

And at last years Topeka finals again an S2000 would have won A Stock

http://www.scca.com/_Filelibrary/Fil...Pro-Finale.pdf

Ike

Yeah I know how well the S2K does in BS but for the last few years there has been rumor and speculation of the S2K moving out of BS and it just hasn't happened. I was once one of those people that strongly felt the S2K was leaving BS but two years passed and nothing happened save for the 04+ being placed in AS. I won't be shocked either way it turns out. Just at the local level in Milwaukee we have as many as a dozen S2Ks in BS, I would have thought somewhere like NV. would have even more... I don't think Tim has many in his region in Tx. either, I guess warmer weather doesn't really mean more verts.

idriverx8

I really dont care if they stay or go I think this car can come very close to them maybe even beat them. I have no delusions of catching them but I think Tim is damn close. I talked with the elite S2000 drivers's at that pro solo and they said he was almost there. My whole point to this thread is that with the right set up this car is amazing.

red_rx8_red_int

Congrats to the thread starter, s/he did a great job, but I don't understand the current SCCA classifications (sp?). How can you compare a 4-seater to a bunch of 2-seaters? Actually it's a great complement to any 4-seater. To be compared against a 2-seater.

Ophitoxaemia

congrats! and i think its a good idea if you have an rx8 to autocross it, because you never know what will happen with class changes, and if you have been working it you will be that much ahead if it does get competitively classed.

the other thing is we really dont know how fast a car is until someone experienced really works to set up a car over a season or so.

my feeling now is the killer for the rx8 in stock classes is how easy it gets on the front bump rubbers. i cut mine down and picked up over a second. granted, i dont have much experience with stock class cars (usually drive a mod car).

james

Dark8

In stock (13.5D) you cannot cut the bump stops unless "for the purpose of installing non-standard shocks." I would be running cut-down bump stops except for this half line in the rule book. Oh well, JICs are on the way so STU here I come!

Ophitoxaemia

sorry, i should have been more clear that modifying the bump rubbers isnt legal for stock class. however, that line about 'unless for shocks' is very important indeed!

how streetable is a full STU car?

james

Dark8

STU allows common bolt on mods like intake, coilovers, springs, shocks, strut tower braces, anti-sway bars, camber kits, exhaust, etc. The one thing that makes it different from the Stock or Street Prepared classes is that you are required to run street tires with a wear rating of 140 and above. The big reason I like it is that you don't have to change tires at the event like I used to with 'R' compund tires. I change to my Azenis in my driveway with my air tools and jacks and drive to the event.

So it depends how far you go with your mods and whether you like a firm suspension. One thing to remember for street tires is you shouldn't run a rock hard suspension. The tire grip just isn't there to support it.

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