Will do. Co-drove a C4 Vette at nats in 08 and up till this point school/work have kept me out of other national events. Can't wait for another one.

Spicy Orange was by far my favorite color on that car. Learned to autocross on a P5 and almost bought a Mazdaspeed Protege when it was time to change.

 

Well, it's been a long time coming, but Shaikh has finally delivered my FatCat double adjustables. Well, fronts anyway, with rears to follow in a few days.

Pic:



Will be installing the fronts this weekend, rears next week, alignment & CW on Thursday, then Packwood on Sat-Sun.

Will be driving on 265-35-18 Hankooks this year, which will be mounted next week as well. Would have gone 255-35-18 but I got a killer deal on the 265s.

 

^Good to know. I still have the 255/40-17s'kooks from last year at nats, so I'll post some tire-stack-height **** for those (and you know who you are) who are in to that sort of thing.

 

CS and STX run in the first group this weekend.

56 degrees at 9 am.

Yeah!

 

I'm new to STX this year and wondering if I would benefit any by going to 17" wheels. Thinking about trying to find some 17 X 9 or 17 X 9.5 wheels and going with 265 RE11's. One big benefit of course is a bit of cost saving on the tires. Currently have 245 18" RE11's. This is for an '04 GT.

Also, so far only have shocks and a K&N insert air filter so what would be best mods and in what order. I have read most of the posts in the STX thread but may have been blind and missed a discussion on either of these subjects.

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

Yes, there is an advantage in going with 9" wide wheels - wheel width is critical in getting the most out of your tires.

But don't go 9.5 - 9" is the limit under STX rules.

However, since you already have 245 RE11s, I'd just learn on those and driven them until they are dead. Then, depending on how you feel about the sport, you can get another set of wheels.

Since you already have decent tires, I'd say look into a set of good coilovers next, and learn how to set the car up for your local conditions & driving style. Just be sure and figure out if your driving style is slowing you down, or rather, how much your driving style is slowing you down.

 

when you buy new tires you don't want RE-11s, nobody notable in ST is using them any more, pretty much Dunlop, Toyo, and Hankook are the major ST tires of choice, a few people use Yokohama but they are $$$

 

Day 1 @ Atlanta Tour, looks like Neal had some issues, go get 'em TopGear ...

Street Touring Xtreme Drivers: 14 Trophies: 5

T 1 69 Michael Kuhn 2004 Mazda RX-8 Black Hankook 42.397 41.469 40.826 40.826
Charlotte,NC Race Roots/MazdaSpeed Central Ca
T 2 198 Bret Shillock 1998 Honda civic si Bla Toyo 43.218 41.926 41.165 41.165
[98] Winston Salem,NC North Caro (0.339)
T 3 98 Mitchell Wagner 1989 Honda Civic Si Bla Toyo 43.545 42.595 41.937 41.937
[198] Chattanooga,TN TeamUnderdog/ASR/Moton Atlanta/So (0.772)
T 4 154 Simon Kim 2005 Mazda RX-8 Shinka Hankook 43.570 43.456 41.952 41.952
[54] Atlanta,GA Atlanta/So (0.015)
T 5 182 Chris Cline 1995 BMW 325is Black Hankook 42.060 43.405(1) 43.818(1) 42.060
[82] Greensboro,NC Mann Motorsports/TRM/Dis Atlanta/So (0.108)
6 144 Randall Prince 1997 BMW 328is White Dunlop 42.260 43.693(1) 44.283(1) 42.260
[44] Auburn,GA www.trmtuning.com / www. Atlanta/So (0.200)
7 44 Russell Lewis 1997 BMW 328is White Dunlop 46.763(1) 46.567(2) 42.260 42.260
[144] Canton,GA The Racers Market / Gran Atlanta/So (0.000)
8 117 Don Morgan 2008 Mazda RX-8 Grey Hankook 43.980 42.385 42.846 42.385
[17] Lexington,KY Gunshow Racing Central Ke (0.125)
9 17 Ryan Zupancic 2008 Mazda RX-8 Grey Hankook DNF 42.469 43.470(1) 42.469
[117] Lexington,KY Injected Performance Central Ke (0.084)
10 82 Neal Tovsen 1993 BMW 325is Green Hankook DSQ 43.194(1) 43.217(1) 43.194
[182] Apple Valley,MN Milwaukee/ (0.725)
11 122 Laraine Wilkinson 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX Bridgeston 46.771(1) 43.273 44.923(1) 43.273
[22] Stone Mountain,GA Atlanta/So (0.079)
12 22 Randall Wilkinson 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX Bridgeston 43.960 43.407 45.160(1) 43.407
[122] Stone Mountain,GA Atlanta/So (0.134)
13 10 Mark Strong 2009 Mazda RX-8 RED Dunlop 44.408 43.425 45.604(1) 43.425
Madison,AL Tennessee (0.018)
14 54 Anselmo Kim 2005 Mazda RX-8 Shinka Hankook 45.163 47.236(1) 45.878(1) 45.163

 

Way to go Mike! Nice lead over the BMWs! Keep it up tomorrow.

 

Looks like I'll reverse myself on the 255 vs 265, apparently the specs were revised, if true the 255/35 would be the better R-S3 choice for 18", good call

 

What do you mean the specs were revised? Did they make the 255 RS3 wider, or was there a change to the star specs?

 

Final STX results @ 2011 Atlanta Tour, congrat's to TopGear for doing what was required to bring home the win

Street Touring Xtreme Drivers: 14 Trophies: 5

T 1 69 Michael Kuhn 2004 Mazda RX-8 Black Hankook 42.397 41.469 40.826 80.732
Charlotte,NC Race Roots/MazdaSpeed Central Ca 40.981 40.308 39.906
T 2 198 Bret Shillock 1998 Honda civic si Bla Toyo 43.218 41.926 41.165 80.871
[98] Winston Salem,NC North Caro 40.476 39.706 43.348(1) (0.139)
T 3 82 Neal Tovsen 1993 BMW 325is Green Hankook DSQ 43.194(1) 43.217(1) 82.738
[182] Apple Valley,MN Milwaukee/ 43.654(2) 43.615(2) 39.544 (1.867)
T 4 154 Simon Kim 2005 Mazda RX-8 Shinka Hankook 43.570 43.456 41.952 82.848
[54] Atlanta,GA Atlanta/So 41.359 41.075 40.896 (0.110)
T 5 98 Mitchell Wagner 1989 Honda Civic Si Bla Toyo 43.545 42.595 41.937 82.867
[198] Chattanooga,TN TeamUnderdog/ASR/Moton Atlanta/So 43.165(1) 42.509(1) 40.930 (0.019)
6 182 Chris Cline 1995 BMW 325is Black Hankook 42.060 43.405(1) 43.818(1) 82.896
[82] Greensboro,NC Mann Motorsports/TRM/Dis Atlanta/So 41.139 40.836 41.015 (0.029)
7 44 Russell Lewis 1997 BMW 328is White Dunlop 46.763(1) 46.567(2) 42.260 83.247
[144] Canton,GA The Racers Market / Gran Atlanta/So 42.603 51.257(2) 40.987 (0.351)
8 17 Ryan Zupancic 2008 Mazda RX-8 Grey Hankook DNF 42.469 43.470(1) 83.683
[117] Lexington,KY Injected Performance Central Ke 42.614 43.260(1) 41.214 (0.436)
9 117 Don Morgan 2008 Mazda RX-8 Grey Hankook 43.980 42.385 42.846 83.698
[17] Lexington,KY Gunshow Racing Central Ke 42.184 42.712(1) 41.313 (0.015)
10 144 Randall Prince 1997 BMW 328is White Dunlop 42.260 43.693(1) 44.283(1) 84.162
[44] Auburn,GA www.trmtuning.com / www. Atlanta/So 41.902 42.957(1) 43.757(2) (0.464)
11 10 Mark Strong 2009 Mazda RX-8 RED Dunlop 44.408 43.425 45.604(1) 84.607
Madison,AL Tennessee 41.816 41.496 41.182 (0.445)
12 122 Laraine Wilkinson 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX Bridgeston 46.771(1) 43.273 44.923(1) 86.040
[22] Stone Mountain,GA Atlanta/So 46.350(1) 42.949 42.767 (1.433)
13 22 Randall Wilkinson 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX Bridgeston 43.960 43.407 45.160(1) 86.184
[122] Stone Mountain,GA Atlanta/So 46.514(1) 45.216(1) 42.777 (0.144)
14 54 Anselmo Kim 2005 Mazda RX-8 Shinka Hankook 45.163 47.236(1) 45.878(1) 87.086
[154] Atlanta,GA Atlanta/So 44.185 44.567(1) 41.923 (0.902)

 

Tom Deady comes back and takes the RX-8 win in C Stock @ Atlanta as well


C Stock Drivers: 9 Trophies: 3

T 1 42 Tom Deady 2005 Mazda RX8 Gray Hoosier 44.301(1) 41.086 40.327 78.924
Hickory,NC Central Ca 39.857 39.410 38.597
T 2 151 Jason Ruggles 2007 Mazda RX-8 Silver Hoosier 41.719 40.325 40.127 78.985
[51] Margate,FL Awesome Fossums Hair Car Florida/So 41.417(1) 38.858 38.924 (0.061)
T 3 99 Rob Falkner 2010 Nissan 370z yellow Hoosier 42.714 40.395 41.277(1) 79.196
[199] Lincolnton,NC corgi raging Central Ca 42.268(1) 39.385 38.801 (0.211)
4 194 Jesse Naughton 2004 Mazda RX-8 Black Hoosier 43.111(1) 40.676 42.465(1) 79.686
[94] Lilburn,GA Atlanta/So 39.247 39.010 40.730(1) (0.490)
5 199 Al Aberson 2009 Nissan 370Z Yellow Hoosier 43.469(1) DNF 40.832 79.826
[99] Marietta,GA G-Force Racing Gear Atlanta/So 40.201 39.969 38.994 (0.140)
6 51 Jim Fossum 2007 Mazda RX-8 Silver Hoosier 40.267 43.227(1) 40.267 80.215
[151] Greer,SC Atlanta/So 40.241 42.092(1) 39.948 (0.389)
7 73 Dat Nguyen 2007 Mazda MX-5 Gray Hoosier 43.758(1) 40.873 40.895 80.291
Orlando,FL Central Fl 39.418 39.601 49.002(1) (0.076)
8 94 Scott Hoffman 2004 Mazda RX-8 Black Hoosier 42.121 41.107 40.902 80.967
[194] Richmond,VA Karho-Nomo Racing Washington 41.055 40.569 40.065 (0.676)
9 53 Raul Pena 2000 Porsche Boxster Bl Kumho 43.224 50.743 41.854 82.931
Winston Salem,NC Northern N 41.632 41.077 42.012(1) (1.964)

 

Congrats Mike!

 

Congrats again to Mike! (and nice meeting you as well!)

I was co-driving Don's (08boostedmzda) RX-8 and coned away a much more respectable run on Saturday, but that's life! I plan to be at the Toledo NT in my own STX RX-8.

I will post some videos later tonight or tomorrow of Don and I's fastest runs. I'm not sure if any of the other STX guys were recording.

 

Thanks for the kudo's Mark and congrats again to Mike.

My first National trophy and I made it count!!

Jason put it out there on his second run and I knew I had to go for it and ended up taking just over .8 off my fastest time. Still gives me the shakes just thinking about it.

Damn this sh*t is fun!

 

Awesome job, Mike. It's always fun when somebody is nipping at your heals but you manage to keep them at bay. That's racing!

 

Thanks guys it was a great weekend. And congratz to you too Tom, it is great to see you put it down on both days and pull through for the win!

 

I have a HJS Motorsport catalytic converter for sale if anyone is interested. PM me for details. Thanks.

 

<---Looking at the entry list for the Lincoln Tour/Pro makes me really want to make the journey out there...

 

we have a divisional locally this weekend, just noticed that Toyo pays divisional contingency, w00t (well, hopefully w00t)

 

Lookin' good Mark. Make sure to give em hell.

 

The RX-8 folks should definitely come out, I want more trophy padding!

It's kinda hard to beat a Pro *and* Tour, five days of autocross, on that wonderful slab of concrete.

I hope they run last year's Nats courses as they typically have done for the MidDiv, I've got quite a score to settle with those courses...

 

If it wasnt going to cost $850 in gas to make it out there, I would be there.


Anyone looking for a co driver?

 

thanks and you know I will, but we'll be running on a slippery sealed asphalt lot and I'm still on the small 245s (saving the new wider tires for Lincoln) so I won't be surprised if the awd VW gets by me, if not some of the other cars too since they have been practicing there while I was out of town for the last six weekends