pcs

iTrader: (2)

I read somewhere Thunderhill is having an HPDE event for something like $110 early in november. It's in the West forum somewhere - if I were closer, and it wasn't on a weekday, I would join you and put 2 R3's on the track... but alas, I'm socal, not norcal... and the weekday thing, haha.

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

dude--you have track experience and are going out on sticky tires--no need to tell you about the basics--upgrade brake fluid, heavier oil etc etc.
So heres my little hints
1- stay out of the 8K-9K range--that extra 1K rpm builds a hell of a lot heat and it is not worth it--look at dyno plots of others in general.
2- car is VERY forgiving and recovers well--BUT get a performance alignment before going out. The oem alignment sucks big time
3- the tail end of the car can get a little squirrel y on high speed very hard braking--i dont know about the R3 it may not?
4- keep 1/2 tank of gas as a precaution against fuel starvation
5- DO PREMIX--1oz per gallon--seriously
6- the trans is not one you can slam--touch the shifter like you are touching another mans pen--.
7- headroom with helmet requires most to let the back of the drivers seat down a little
7- let the passengers seat down and that increases side vision a lot.
remove the back seats and the pass through lid so you can hear your engine better. They dont save that much weight.
Gotta go--hope that helps.
OD

tmak26b

I don't know how you guys are going to the track with less than half tank? The car runs out of gas after 3 15-20 minute session, do you just buy gas at the track?

miztic

lmao I was thinking the same thing... I actually showed up at the track with a full tank and still had to get more so I could do the last session...
calculated mileage 6mpg

also, this is the first time I'm hearing to stay away from the 8-9k range... if anything I end up there a lot, there is a particular corner I go around with the buzzer beeping at me the whole way... and never any heat issues, but to be fair that's on 4 lap practice or 1 1/2 lap timed runs... so the car does get a break..

olddragger

iTrader: (3)

exactly--you have to gas up between sessions.
I have seen more than one person run the engine to 9K before any shifting occuring during a 30 min session. They think the warning buzzer is a shift light. Wrong.
I am getting 9 to 10 mpg on the track.
OD

Matt RX8

Are you running 18" wheels and stock profile tires?

I always shift at 9K, sometimes above. Fuel cut-off isn't until 9400 or so. I've tried shifting at 8K but it didn't seem optimal to me.

However, the tracks I frequent most are technical with short straights where you are only hitting 90-95 mph between corners (which is 9K-9.5K rpms in third gear).

ganseg

iTrader: (5)

I am new to my car but will be tracking next summer. The car I am coming from tracking was a '97 M3 lightly mod'd including Toyo RA1s. I want to be set up for next season too.

Related to the last post, it seems my car is pulling hard between 8000 and 9000, so i wouldn't want to give that up. How can I deal with the heat or any other ramifications of doing that repeatedly?

Second question is on lowering the car. As you lower the m3, the geometry gets negatively effected. Is it the same with the RX-8?

Spin9k

Trust me, you can do that repeatedly with little to no regard for problems. I wouldn't go to fuel cutout often except by mistake, it's not a pleasant result for smoothness, but living at or around 8-9K is par for the course (track that is) as that's one area of speed you'll be at on many tracks, for much of the time. By the way, at least in the 04-08 Rx-8 the tach is quite optimistic and you're not really at the revs you'll see displayed. In truth there's little to be gained and actually the power trails off after 8K to 8.5K, although it's hard not to end up going there in practice.

No the suspension has no such problem if the lowering is reasonable and in fact creates the ability to put in the negative camber you'll want. Just don't overdo the lowering and use good coilovers, not shortened springs.

Matt RX8

regarding the heat, I recall one of the race teams (speedsource I think) felt that short shifting generated more heat. they felt it was better to spin the engine faster to get the hot gases out through the exhaust faster or something like that. that might have been with one of their 3 rotor cars however.

tmak26b

Not sure about the rotary, but a 500 RPM drop in a piston car can mean a 5-10F drop in oil temperature. For driving schools, you will be fine running at 9000RPM as long as you have good quality oil and gas. 20 minutes isn't really that much.

ganseg

iTrader: (5)

I've looked at the dyno thread and there seem to be significant differences among near stock cars how the HP goes near the max RRM. SOme it is near peak or still climbing when they lift at 9000. Some it is dropping off earlier. I guess I would need to get my car dyno'd to know. My M3 peaked at 6350, so except for special circumstances, there was no reason to go above that.

BTW, what is the speed limiter set at on this car? I plan to run the long course at Brainerd in May. They have a 1 mile straight after a turn that I will exit at about 70. I could only get to 130 in my M3 by a speedo that was high. I am wondering what the RX-8 will do. You can go thru the banked turn 1 at full speed. Kieth Code wrote it was his fav corner in North America!

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Remember that if you are referring to HP, not Torque, then yes, most will keep climbing, because HP is basically torque multiplied by RPM. If your Torque is dropping faster than your RPMs are climbing, then you will see a HP curve head downwards. Otherwise if torque isn't dropping that fast, staying level, or going up, you will see a HP curve climbing.


If you have an AT, there is a speed limiter at 125mph. MT has no electronic limiter. Aero limits are between 154 and 168, depending on who you talk to, how healthy their 8 is, and how much extra drag they have. (appearance package, spoiler, wind deflector, windows up/down, etc...) Most tracks have NA 8s in the 70-115 range.

Spin9k

The 8 has nice linear push at the top end, only falls off right before the redline which is part of its charm Wind is the 6spds limiter. Is this the track you refer to? http://www.brainerdraceway.com/track...ile-track.html

If so, and you can actually exit that 120deg T10 at 70...then have a mile to wind out...and it's not uphill....I'm surprised the M3 only got to 130. The 8 under those conditions should get there although it's a slow progression in 4th / 5th. Looks like fun, and a bit like here (under General maps, click 'Track Elevation' http://www.theglen.com/Maps/Maps.aspx from the Ninety T1 thru the Back Straight, except that's an uphill and so the car can get to something like 120+ before the 'Inner Loop' which is one of the more exciting high speed transitions depending on your car and skill at winding your way thru there

tmak26b

140mph in a RX-8, you probably need a long runway to get there

ganseg

iTrader: (5)

Turn 10 on the long course is very wide and not that sharp (somewhat more than 90%). Here is the description from the link above:

The straight following Turn 9 runs past the drag strip paddock area down into Turn 10, which is a fast and very wide 120-degree right-hand turn leading out onto the front straight. There is a little dip on the inside that gives the effect of a slight banking, but it may be too early for practical use as an apex. You can swing wide coming out of Turn 10 but check this out carefully since the track surface appears to fall off camber on the outside half of the pavement (it feels as if it does but doesn't look like it).