Just had first track weekend...
 

And it was sooo much fun!

Went to Phoenix International Raceway for a NASA event originally planning to go for just Saturday. Ended up getting out of DE 1 on saturday so i dropped the extra bones for sunday and ran in DE 2.

I have to say, I'm very impressed on how easy it was to drive the rx-8 fast in its bone stock form. The car was just dreamy! The instructor i had for saturday said he never ridden in one and he was really impressed. He kept asking me if I was riding on stock tires. and i was.

I think i got passed once on day 2, i'd like to say it was all driver (i thought i was doing ok) but the shear driveability of the 8 made going quick so easy.

Only issue that came up is that my brakes don't have the initial bite they used to.. whoops. Never really had enough brake fade to ever become a real problem while on the track. I think i'll be getting a set of track pads to run on the weekends to preserve the feeling of the stock pads while on the street.

Anyways, I'm hooked. Hope to see some of you guys sometime if you ever come out to the tracks in AZ, NV, CA and NM.

just drive the stock pads normally on the street for a week, the 'bite' that you originally had will come back

welcome to the addiction that is track driving lol

so want to get on a track.. its shear frustration that highways have speedlimits in michigan :lol:

Do some reading here and you will find tips.

Change the fluid. I use Castrol Dot 4.

Tire pressures run a little higher.

Listen and learn from the instructors.

Remember You are there to have fun. It's not a race. Drive safely.

You have Gratten (which I love) and Gingerman. Then near Detroit theres Waterford Hills.

I also participated in a track weekend for the first time a couple weeks ago. It was the best experience. I passed a Cayman S for god's sake! lol

Sounds like the OP has a new addiction!

The 8 is easy and fun to drive fast. It behaves itself in corners and communicates everything its doing to the driver.