Teaser video of a longer clip i plan to post in 16:9 format shortly. Wow, this was more fun than i expected! I think with skinnier tires and a better alignment my rx8 could easily go faster with a little more straightaway. Nonetheless i had a blast. 100k miles on the original engine!

 

Was it just the outer ring? or did you get a chance to play on the inner course? Pocono's my home track.

 

Nice! I totally want to go back to Pocono.

Yeah we were with Hooked On Driving (HOD) and i ran the Pocono Raceway North South Option 3 CW. i loved how the first infield was flowing and slow hands and the second infield was very busy like a high speed autocross. i did a 2:03.9 in the road course configuration. i plan to make a video of that in the near future.

 

pocono is a fun time. drove a 430 and a lambo there. it was ~1/3 or the triangle and the infield

 

Nice, i coached a C8 Vette Z06 at this event. it sure feels different with 670 HP versus 200!

Even though it's quite flat, the infield is just so fun that i think Pocono is one of my favorite tracks.

 

what was the top speed you hit? i hit 150-151 in my first 8 on a big downhill stretch (not pocono) but no clue how accurate it was

 

i hit 143. speedo was indicating 150+ but that was likely due to my shorter tires (255/40/17). i have a road race wheel/tire/alignment combo, so given a less aggressive setup and a longer straight i bet i could push a true 150.

 

Back in the day, with my Racing Beat modified first gen RX7, turboed, ported 13B, suspension, aero, ignition, fuel, cooling and brakes modified, I hit a top speed of 180mph on the banking at Pocono. Sorry no cell phones or go-pros back in those days to record it. It was during a special RX7 event. Yes many witnesses.

Not the fastest I have gone on track, though. As a photographer for late Porsche Championship Driver Al Holbert, I squeezed into his IMSA Lowenbrau Porsche 962 to make shots and we went over 210mph at Daytona . Al Holbert: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Holbert

Cheers and enjoy.

 

iirc the 8 is drag limited @155 but 180 in an fb is impressive

 

Man, that's flying! Even in a fully prepared car i dunno if i'd want to go THAT fast! Very cool.

 

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Yes very cool and scary at the same time, but Racing Beat prepared the modified RX7 well, and the aero kit aided in keeping me on the track at Pocono.

At Daytona, I fully trusted .top Porsche driver Al Holbert not to crash us out during my photo shoot laps. Yes I had signed all waivers though. and was in my Nomex suit and helmet. LOL

I will tell you a true non-track story of Al and I. Al Holbert and his dad Bob Holbert , a former SCCA champ , had a VW/Porsche dealership in Warrington, Pa., outside Philadelphia. I was doing a story for my newspaper , the Philadelphia Inquirer on Al ,a former fighter pilot, and now a top racer with an attitude, becoming a calmer born-again Christian. I met Al at his dealership in my modified RX7. Al had his 944 turbo. We were going to his nearby home for photos with his family and a born-again Christians meeting he was hosting. Al told me to follow him, and challenged me to keep up . We set off at non-street-legal speeds across the countryside roads towards his home, with me staying close to his rear bumper. We came to a five-way intersection, where I thought he might slow down, but no of course he didn't. There was traffic coming in other directions so i had to either slam on my brakes or floor the RX7 to make it through with him, which i just did. We would have been headline news the next day if we had crashed. We got to his home, parked the cars, and Al just smiled at me.

We never mentioned a word of this to anyone, but i and my RX7 gained loads of respect from one of the greatest race drivers in the world, and we stayed friends until his untimely death in his airplane crash coming home from his Team USA Porsche qualifying at Mid-Ohio track. A faulty maintenance repair on his plane while he was there as Porsche USA Team owner for race weekend , led to a clamshell door opening as he took off to return home after early race qualifying, planning to fly his family back to Ohio for the race day. The clamshell door opening acted like a speed break at the worst possible time during takeoff, and his last courageous act was to steer it away from homes as it crashed down. So sad.

His family would later win a multi-million dollar settlement from the mechanics operation at that airport. His huge Porsche North America Racing Team shut down. His crew chief went on to his own careers as race team owner and Al Holbert's son Todd grew up to be a driver, mechanic and a top NASCAR car designer.

Al Holbert: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Holbert
Al Holbert was a multiple 24 hours of Le Mans overall winner, a multiple 24 hours of Daytona overall Winner , a 12-Hours of Sebring winner, and multiple times IMSA Champion, and raced at Indy also.

Cheers.