willhave8

Very cool !. Only part that is important is the 20% chance of Precipitation...

Brice-RX8

What time is everything going to be starting up on the track Saturday morning? I think I am going to come by and hangout and watch some, since I should only be about hour and half away.

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

cars will be getting on the track around 8-9ish, and then throughout the day

Brice-RX8

Ok, sweet. Seems like it will be fun to hangout for a while that day.

tomfree

Make sure you get there before lunch time so you can run parade laps around the track during lunch. I highly recommend it.

Paul_in_DC

These guys can't wait.

DCNSX

Brice- I think the instructors are on track around 9am. You can catch a ride with any instructor (that's willing) during any of the instructor's track sessions (4x per day). Just find one and ask- you'll have a blast. and of course you can take your own car on the parade laps as previously mentioned.

Everyone else: bring SUNSCREEN. we'll be out all weekend.

Also: MazdaDrivers requires LONG SLEEVE shirts and long pants while on track.

Brice-RX8

Cool deal guys. Thanks for the info.

Paul_in_DC

From the info sheet:

Saturday, June 17, 2006

6:30 a.m. Gates Open
6:50 a.m. Technical Inspections – Tech Barn
7:00 a.m. Registration/Sign-in opens just outside or in the Classroom building
7:30 a.m. Instructors meeting - Classroom
8:10 a.m. Meet and Greet (All Students and Instructors) - outside classroom along pit row
8:30 a.m. Student Driver meeting - Classroom
8:30 a.m. Instructors on-course
9:00–11:50 Morning track sessions
11:50 a.m. Lunch break, Touring/parade laps (time permitting)
12:45 –5:30 Afternoon track sessions
5:30 p.m. Track activities cease
6:30 p.m. VIR closes, gates locked (no camping overnight, NC and VA State Parks nearby)

willhave8

I will be at the gate at 5:30 tomorrow...Looking forward to it guys! Safe travels and see you all this weekend.

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

just got my alignment done, steering is finally tight and straight like when it was brand new

hogcar

I just did a final run through before it goes on the trailer. I will be instructing in my sons white RX8, other than him I don't know who my other student is yet. I am trying out some new JIC's H coil overs, stop by and say hello.

Be safe and enjoy the weekend.

DCNSX

Guys- I won't be there until Saturday morning and my instructor has agreed to save me a paddock spot next to his. He has a red NSX and my NSX is black - look for us under a green awning. Please stop by and introduce yourself- I'd love to hear more about how the 8 does on track. -Howard

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

last thing i'm gonna do tonight is to clean the air filter on the Revi intake, then i start packing!!

willhave8

How do you know who your instructor is??

By the way, I will stop by.

tomfree

DCNSX probably requested his instructor. I did that with the VIR-N school earlier this year. Dave Nugent is really good to work with you on requests like that.

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

hope you guys had fun, i sure did

videos coming... eventually lol

DCNSX

I had a blast. I continue to be impressed by the handling of the RX8. My NSX was passed by several of you! Love the "Grand East" configuration and was able to meet a bunch of you. I met Mark O'Dell from Silverback Racing- he has a great website detailing the team's Grand Am racing exploits here: http://www.grandamadventure.com/GA_main.html


Who else is going to CMP in July with NASA?? I'll try to post some photos later. -Howard

Paul_in_DC

Fun doesn't even begin to describe it.

I was finally able to hit 120 mph on the front "straight." I concentrated on exiting turn 17/17a smooth, and took a different line to straighten it as much as I could. But I barely made Turn 1 at the end, so I didn't try for a repeat. On the back straight I made 110 consistently, but uphill that's the best I could do. My one hairy moment was after coming through the Spiral up past the Fishhook into those tight "hidden" Esses; I was off-line and tried to pinch back in too tightly and the rear came around. I held on and basically drifted through those three turns, but didn't put a wheel off. Whew!

Mod impressions:

Tokico D-Specs: Less than a week old, I left them at full firm -1 turn front & back. I was very pleased with them - much less body roll, and much steadier in the straights than the OE shocks.

Hawk Performance Ceramics: I was pleased with them. They stop better than the OE brakes, but they're not true track pads. A couple times after some very hard braking they got a little spongy, but returned to normal very quickly when I backed off a little.

Goodyear Eagle F1 GS-D3 225/40-18: I was pleased with them. They handled the speed well, and transitioned smoothly, with no nasty surprises. My only complaint is that they don't give as much feedback as the OE Dunlops, which chirped better at the limit. I had to feel the slippage more than hear it. On my first run (32/32) the rear was coming around more than I liked, so I softened up the back (32/28) and they were neutral after that. Hot pressures ran about (40/36).

My most memorable experience was a ride with my instructor in his red NSX. It was unbefreakinlievably fast. Three times in the first lap I re-tightened my shoulder straps. A quote from Ghostbusters comes to mind: "Sorry Venkman, I'm terrified beyond the capacity for rational thought."

But yeah, overall it was a blast and a half.

tomfree

Good school, first time on track in the RX-8 with R compounds on Sunday. Once I got the tire pressures right, the car was outstanding. With the additional grip of the R's, I definitely explored new parts of body roll that I hadn't seen before.

Just for reference, I'd like to get some speeds from you guys (if you ever looked) at several places on track.

Main straight - I saw 125 a couple of times, but usually more like 117-118
Top of uphill esses, before South bend turn in - 103-105
Back straight (before the bitch) - 108-115
Before braking zone at the spiral (after the bitch) - 85-87
End of Stevie Wonders (before roller coaster) - 85-90

I'd like to know what similar cars are doing, and also I feel like my car is a little weak on the top end - I'm thinking about changing plugs and wires before Summit main in August.

Paul_in_DC

Unfortunately I left my camera's memory chip at home, so I only got a couple pics.

1. Lineup for Tech
2. Hank in the Tech Barn
3. My 8 between runs
4. Favorite license plate

crossbow

Anyone else see repetitive #2 misfire codes this weekend? I don't own an 8 personally, but was the silver 6 staged next to hank on the paddock and seemed to be scanning various 8 owners for the same code again and again. I think it was P0304? Might of been a P0302. I think I still have some FFD data availble if someone wants to see it.

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

*right click, save as*

awesome pic Paul, thanks

Paul_in_DC

- Main straight - Max 120, but usually about 110.
- Top of uphill esses, before South bend turn in - Around 95. I was always a little conservative here, since I couldn't see the approaching turn. Note - this is where the Mini carried too much speed and hit the tire wall.
- Back straight (before the bitch) - 110 pretty consistently.
- Before braking zone at the spiral (after the bitch) - Around 85.
- End of Stevie Wonders (before roller coaster) - Didn't check.

I had a blinking CEL on my 3rd run Sunday, so I backed off and brought it in even though it stopped blinking before I pitted. This was the same run as my highest front straight speed. Strangely enough, on each of my 3 HPDE's I've gotten a CEL on the 3rd run of the 2nd day. (Hmm...) A guy there had one of those hand-held data analyzers, and it said I'd gotten a single 2nd-cylinder misfire. Another guy (name?) in a green 8 had a steady CEL, and the analyzer said it was also a 2nd-cylinder misfire; but since he had more than one, it was stored in permanent memory and the analyzer could read the additional data. He said the only thing that looked unusual was the water temp, around 215? (Or would that be oil temp?) He said that was a pretty high temperature, and guessed it might be that the ECU was retarding timing because of it. He said he'd seen a couple other 8's that weekend get a misfire as well.

I'm tempted to get oil & water temp meters to get better info on what's happening, heat-wise. Maybe a bigger radiator might help us out with this one.

EDIT: LOL Crossbow, I just saw your post. Were you the one that checked my CEL? Yeah, if you still have the FFD data from one of them I'd like to see/keep it for a reference. Thanks!

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

it couldn't be the water temperature; one of my several misfire codes had water temp at a steady 188F

curiously, i didn't have any code on the second day, just the first day, where I got a code during EVERY session..... and they're all the same 'cylinder 2 misfire' code, lol

probably time for some fresh plug wires...