Heartland Park Topeka

[Paul]

Thread from the first autox held on the new nationals surface.

http://sccaforums.com/forums/2/188918/ShowThread.aspx

If Jason can get the RX-8 to work at TMS I think he has a shot.

[hancheyb]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

If Jason can get the RX-8 to work at TMS I think he has a shot.

What does that mean?

The Mighty Paul has spoken! It will be done.

[Paul]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

It is just me talking about my a$$. I posted before coffee.

[hancheyb]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

On another note, the key to the RX-8 is getting it to be able to be flat footed through all transitions. That's where RX-8s will kill us. DL-1 says they pull the same g's as a B stock car on narrower tires so the trick is balance. After driving Sipe's car and experiencing that level of balance, I'm still scared of the car.

[McCall]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

On another note, the key to the RX-8 is getting it to be able to be flat footed through all transitions. That's where RX-8s will kill us. DL-1 says they pull the same g's as a B stock car on narrower tires so the trick is balance. After driving Sipe's car and experiencing that level of balance, I'm still scared of the car.

Yea, a bit of it has to be me as the driver but in looking at BS times at the Tour, I was 2 seconds off their times each day. Guys, I might need an intervention here as I know I made a few small mistakes during my runs but not 2 seconds worth! I know there wasn't 2 seconds worth of improvement in my car as it sat. I've obviously got some more tuning to do. Even Adam thought we didn't leave much out there on the course.

[hancheyb]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

Yea, a bit of it has to be me as the driver but in looking at BS times at the Tour, I was 2 seconds off their times each day. Guys, I might need an intervention here as I know I made a few small mistakes during my runs but not 2 seconds worth! I know there wasn't 2 seconds worth of improvement in my car as it sat. I've obviously got some more tuning to do. Even Adam thought we didn't leave much out there on the course.

If you couldn't flat foot transitions, you could have left a second right there. I put .5s on Terry in 3 cones at the practice because I was doing the transitions better.

[McCall]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

If you couldn't flat foot transitions, you could have left a second right there. I put .5s on Terry in 3 cones at the practice because I was doing the transitions better.

You might be right but that's a whole lot of difference to make up. Yes I know I need to drive the car better but I also want to make sure the car can actually do it.

Also, seeing that all ST classes were way off the R compound classes makes me think the surface favored Rs way more. Finally, I need to figure out if there truly is something wrong power-wise with the RX8 or if it's all in my head.

Fair, I'm calling your RX8 out! Bring it!!

[GoDog]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

Dude... Do your induction mod and DRIVE THE CAR
There is absolutely NO replacement for seat time. You have to KNOW how hard you can through that thing and have it stick at the last second with a millimeter to spare.
SEAT TIME, SEAT TIME, SEAT TIME!!!

[hancheyb]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

You have to KNOW how hard you can through that thing and have it stick at the last second with a millimeter to spare.
SEAT TIME, SEAT TIME, SEAT TIME!!!

I agree. I didn't understand this until I drove Tunnell's car at a Pro. He kept saying "oh you can flat foot it there." My brain was telling me there's no way until I tried it and he was right. Same thing when I drove Sipe's car, an RX-8. He said, "you shouldn't be lifting there." So I tried it and almost matched his times instead of being a second off of him (at Pennington of all places). It makes a HUGE difference.

[John in Houston]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

Yea, a bit of it has to be me as the driver but in looking at BS times at the Tour, I was 2 seconds off their times each day. Guys, I might need an intervention here as I know I made a few small mistakes during my runs but not 2 seconds worth! ......

I (along with others) noticed that the rear of your car was all over the place. Was that you pimping... or is your car setup that loose? That in itself can slow your transition times significantly.

edit - I also noticed it during Friday's practice... but chalked it up to getting used to the surface

[McCall]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

I (along with others) noticed that the rear of your car was all over the place. Was that you pimping... or is your car setup that loose? That in itself can slow your transition times significantly.

No, that was Adam pimpin it. For me, at steady state like in both sweepers, the car pushed just a bit.

[GoDog]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

No, that was Adam pimpin it. For me, at steady state like in both sweepers, the car pushed just a bit.

Hey, I drive an F-body.
Like I was saying on Sunday; talk to some people that have RX-8's have them watch/ride if possible. I would still be way off the pace in the Formula if it wasn't for Ramey, Doug Wille, Denny...

[McCall]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

Hey, I drive an F-body.
Like I was saying on Sunday; talk to some people that have RX-8's have them watch/ride if possible. I would still be way off the pace in the Formula if it wasn't for Ramey, Doug Wille, Denny...

Yep, good ideas all around Adam and I'm definitely going to do what you recommend.

John, with reference to what you saw during the practice, I decided to stiffen up both the front and rear sway bars to see what happended since I am still playing around with the set-up. Well, obviously the rear was way too loose (as I spun twice) so I went back to the pits and put the rear back to full soft. Then I ran two more times and almost picked up a second. I did keep the front stiffer (in the middle hole actually) so if anything the car should have pushed a bit more than it did in the past, but actually on that surface it felt about the same as it did at the Pro.

Overall the car still seems like it's sprung too soft as I went uber cheap on some cr4p JDM springs. I'm leaning towards stepping up and getting the Mazdaspeed springs and then going from there.

Here are the different rates:

Stock RX8 6spd
F 155.61 lb/in
R 112.86 lb/in

Tein S Tech - what I have right now
F 207 lb/in
R 145 lb/in

Mazdaspeed Spring - what I want to go with I think
F 280 lb/in
R 190.4 lb/in

The MS spring is the stiffest spring on the market right now besides going to full coil-overs. Just for reference, I think Sipe is going with 500 front and 300 rears on his car.

[John in Houston]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

You want to be careful with spring rates if you are going to Topeka. Asphalt does not reward stiff cars. If you can get the car setup to kill on the TMS asphalt, that would be a REALLY good start.

But yes... it did look soft. Almost as soft as that stock M3 that Stokes was driving.

[John in Houston]

Re: Heartland Park Topeka

John, with reference to what you saw during the practice, I decided to stiffen up both the front and rear sway bars ....

So, at least I wasn't smoking crack