Well...driving the car was a little bit of a challenge, but still lots of fun. The heat on Wed/Thurs was notsofun, however. I really liked Lincoln and the Haymarket district downtown...good food and college girls all over the place, what's not to like?

I'm going again next year, if I can!

...and, STX is going to be a happening class. RX8's, E36's, E30 M3's, Subies...its going to be a great battle. Speaking of the Subarus, doesn't the proposed ST* ECU language really help them out a bunch? Something about tunes that throw CEL codes that they've had to work around? IIRC, it is something like 20-30hp in play.

 

Mike, where did you see the 20-30hp figure? I think when the CEL clarification was first out the subue crowd was whining and throwing out that number, but once they figured out how, the reality wasn't so bad.

I'm more worried about the 2.5L WRXs. The STAC seems to think they'll play nicely, but my Subaru friends are all sure STX just died. Apparently they spool much faster than the 2.0L cars.

 

One factor does not a class killer make. Just ask any Mustang or 330i owner.

 

well I'm pretty sure this was the problem, re-installed the old bushings and now I can move it with my pinky finger where I had to muscle it just prior. Will find out at a local event this Saturday. Hard to believe something so simple could have caused me so much grief, including my wtf Nationals experience ...

 

^I'll have to keep an eye on the grease for my sway bar. I'm sure we're running different ones, but with the one I'm running, that'd be even worse.

Even though a few weekends ago, I could move it around just fine, but that was a few weekends ago.

 

I had installed a new set of urethane bushings that had been provided with "special" grease from one of the swaybar companies. Normally I use synthetic grease from Redline that works exceptionally well, which I seem to have a lifetime supply of. Two things seem to have ocurred. The bushings protrude much further from the brackets than the old bushings, which squeezed them excessively tight once they were bolted down fully. This can be adjusted by sanding the flat side down to minimize the protrusion, but I failed to notice and it didn't show itself immediately with fresh grease. Eventually though the grease got pressed out, which left it dry and tight. Also, the grease was slick as snot when they were installed, but now in the used state it is more like super tacky glue. It seems to inhibit movement rather than assist it. Lesson learned, I will never use that sh-t again.

.

 

That's a common problem on the Racing Beat front bars the Miatas use. If you don't either shim the bracket or shave down the flat part of the bushing, the bar binds and the handling goes to hell.



"My STS Miata pushes really bad" = "Your front bar is binding" about 97%* of the time.



*all statistics guaranteed accurate or your money back.

 

I guess I'm relieved to find out I wasn't just imagining stuff at Lincoln

 

You weren't imagining anything. That's why I was pulling my hair out. I showed up at Lincoln and the car was suddenly oversteer prone where it had been perfectly balanced prior. Nothing done there or since seemed to improve it, not even going up 150# on the front spring rate. I'll find out in several hours if this was some or most of the problem. Todays event is on a slick sealed black top lot where handling balance issues get magnified substantially. So if its reasonably controllable exiting turns I'll know some progress was made. The only saving grace to the whole mess is that for the car to still managing to have done as well as it has when the handling is so fubar shows what its true potential is. It should check out once this is resolved.

 

Hey my car was oversteer prone as well my first two runs! But thats probably because I was missing a rear control arm lol

 

Yeah, that will have some impact

The car is hooking up much better off the line and exiting the turns now.

 

I've got to hear this.

 

It's in here somewhere:

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-racing-25/2011-solo-nationals-220572/


The car is definitely better now. It was still a bit of a handful at the limit, but that is typical for this lot. :woot:

 

Ever driven an STX WRX or STU Evo? Spool time definitely matters in these cars. Add 30hp and 1,000 rpm quicker spool to a car that's already competitive, and watch the rest of the class wither and die.

Also, FWIW I wasn't getting any grip in lincoln, the data logs are showing a pretty large drop in grip relative to Spring Nationals, was anyone else seeing the same?

 

^My car was planted all year with the perfect amount of throttle on oversteer. I didnt make a change to the car all year for the most part, but at Lincoln with all of the OPR on the surface, I felt like I was in a drift event.

 

Umm...no. The '06-'08 WRXs still have the tiny TD04 turbo found on the earlier 2.0L cars. Peak hp with the 2.5L engine is EXACTLY the same as with the 2.0L engine. EXACTLY THE SAME. I've seen dyno after dyno show this. Why? Because peak hp potential is directly linked to the max CFM of the turbo...not engine size.

Torque is different. About 20-30wtq more with the 2.5L WRX over the 2.0L WRX.

I'm with Team on this one. One factor alone doesn't make a class killer. Tire options/sizes are way different from the days when the WRXs ruled STX. If the EF civics get the boot, a great class will remain.

--Chike (former owner of a '06 2.5L WRX)

 

coupled with the higher weight results in the same autox times between them

 

nice set of wheels/tires FS

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-parts-sale-wanted-44/enkei-rpf1-17x9-0-35-hankook-rs-3-255-40-17-a-225450/

 

^ I just picked up the same size locally! I am shopping around for some tires and stuck between which tire for a 255 setup.

 

looking for a hard street tire? or comp?

 

Those wheels/tires are tempting..

But I also am thinking about picking up some Advan TCII's..

Ugh, choices.

Edit: The TCII's would be for dailying. Hoping to have a new set of wheels/tires for both track use, and dailying by March. But with the cost of all that combined, gotta start working on that now..

 

2012 National Schedule
3/10 Dixie National Tour – Adel GA
3/17 Texas National Tour – College Station
4/14 Maryland ProSolo – Location TBA
4/21 Mineral Wells ProSolo
4/28 San Diego National Tour
5/5 El Toro ProSolo – Irvine CA
5/19 Northeast Natoinal Tour- Meadowlands NJ
5/25 Lincoln ProSolo
5/27 Lincoln National Tour
6/8 Blytheville ProSolo
6/10 Blytheville National Tour
6/30 Packwood Tour
7/7 Packwood ProSolo
7/14 Colorado National Tour – Fountain CO
7/21 New Mexico ProSolo – Farmington
7/28 Toledo ProSolo
8/4 Peru National Tour
9/1 ProSolo Finale – Lincoln NE
9/4 Tire Rack Solo Nationals
10/27 Tri-States Championship – Blytheville AR

Which ones do you guys want to do?

I've highlighted the ones that I am definitely doing, and underlined the ones I'm considering based on who shows up..

 

I'm not even sure what I'm driving in 2012...but, I REALLY wish they had done the SoCal swing as a three day event at El Toro.

First, I think it is a very cool format, giving lots of seat time on multiple courses...concentrated fun...Second, the lot at San Diego is getting past its sold by date and doesn't compare to El Toro. No brainer, three days at El Toro...well, except the logistics, given that the SD folks put on a great event and it would be tough to take it away from then and then turn around and dump the burden on Cal Club.

Anyhow, looks like a great calendar. Hope I have a sorted car, either my MR2 for STR or a new CM car...unless someone lets me drive their '8 in STX again!

 

I'll have to see if I can beat Joe Austin for the most events attended in 2012

 

I don't know how many of those I'll go to, I'll most likely just be staying local.

Btw, I saw some pics of your Rx8 with a model on Facebook, TopGear.

I'll just say, I'm impressed.