timbo

I agree. Brake fluid and pads are really the only items I'd look at I take it you didn't have any problems with fuel pick up as the tank ran low. When I did my session at the previous day, I couldn't drive around the track once the tank was at quarter full or below. My fuel economy that day was 25L/100k

rx-8club.co.uk

Oh! if that was a turbo that could be big trouble!

I filled up at the big BP around 20kms north of the track.

Even my old RX-2 (30 or so years of age) old had fuel pickup problems when the tank was low. I always like to have it over half, and the oil near full - oil surge can be an issue, but I think they sorted it a little better on the RX-8.

When I took my S8 RX-7 for a track day once in the UK, I went through 4 litres of oil would you believe!?!?!?! RX-8 was pretty good really.

Tim - would you be interested in getting a set of pads made up? I'll find out costs etc.

timbo

Would that be better/cheaper than getting an off the rack set?

rx-8club.co.uk

I think they'll be better than some aftermarket ones, but I'll get some more details and let you know.

Do you know if Ric is selling aftermarket pads?

mickey t

Actually, it was Rick Bates at the wheel that day, and he wasn't the only one to dip into the 12s in it. just the fastest of three (the others were Dean Evans and yours truly).

To answer the "dodgy" question, we had the correvit on that one, and it wasn't as quick as cars we'd had before, or after, so it's pretty legit, as far as we can tell.

cheers
mt

timbo

Guess we're all crap drivers, then!

takahashi

I am so want to go to Wakefield.. why it is so far away :o

mickey t

If you were dreaming of a racetrack, old son, dream of just about any other racetrack in australia. except calder.

wakefield's stinking hot in summer and, when we did Bang For Your Bucks testing there a couple of weeks ago, it was so cold it made Morley put his hands in his own pockets.

I agree with someone earlier who said it was very technical track and it's very easy to make a small mistake there that costs a lot of time, then make another one or two pushing too hard to make up for it.

It's not a great, thrilling driver's track, but it's very safe and relatively easy on the car, and they're the main things to consider if you're driving home again.

The kink's flat in every road car (even Audi RS6, M3 CSL, GTS etc), so don't be afraid to rip into it. When you brake into t1, don't worry too much about straightening the car too literally to align with the track edge trajectory. too many people do this. Instead, take the straight line from the kink apex to the outer edge of the track (where your turn-in point will be) and brake in that line.

The apex of t1 is actually a bit later than most people use, and if you get that right, you can carry quite a bit of speed, and get on the power early to get a good run up the hill. you may have to use a bit of throttle control here immediately post apex.

from there, it'll depend on what you're driving. Most road-reg cars are flat through the left hander (don't be scared of the kerb - even though it looks high, the inside wheels are unladen and it's generally the thing to hit) with a dab-n-maybe-downshift into t3 at the top of the hill. in some cars, it's better to use torque in a tallish gear across here, but RX-8's don't actually have torque, and i can't remember what we used. you can carry more speed through here than you initially think, because you never really quite get straight before you dive down the hill. Until you've run off on the (safe) gravel at least once, you can probably rest assured that you haven't carried enough speed here.
t3 also has a good kerb to clip (provided you have shocks in reasonable condition and decent rubber).

Be patient on t4 (coming off the hill), because it's very easy to get caught out as the road falls away, then miss your apex, which should be a firm clout right on top of, or even completely over the kerb, if you can tuck it in there.

That'll let you stand on it early without gathering too much understeer on the exit. if you do that, you'll have to lift or run off into the dirt just past the hillclimb turn-off, when you'll have to lift anyway. If it's flat in an M3 CSL through the t5 fast right hander, it'll be flat in an RX8 (going from mazda memory here...). Again, good kerb, especially if you want to climb on it early and work a giggly drift all the way through the corner... that's not so good for your speed, but it's almost as much fun as doing it the proper way...

the approach to the tight left hander is similar to t1, really. don't be too literal with the road edge. the line runs from the inside left to roughly where the road junction is on the right hand edge (which marks your turn-in point). Brake as straight as you can there (a little earlier than it looks like you should brake, too), and, again, it's a later apex than it seems like it should be.

Get it too early and you'll run wide. brake too late and you'll run wide, too, but going backwards... especially in an RX-8 with all the gizmos switched off (which you need to do if you want a lap time). RX-8s have good diffs and a linear delivery, so you should be able to stand on it pretty hard out of there.

don't feel you need to commit to the inside ripple strip on the next, more open left hander. some cars (usually heavier gruntier rear-drivers) work better taking the first part of the left hander a little wider than others then, on the same lock, come back to get the second part. Others have the agility to get both. Doesn't much matter, as long as you get into the right road position for the right hander onto the back straight and let it flow, giving yourself the widest possible corner.

Getting down under, say, mid-13s to 14s, on road rubber will usually mean the thing's carrying enough pace to need either a slight lift or, at worst, a brake brush. this'll just get some weight back over the front axle to give it initial bite, then you need to stand on it, hard, and be prepared to do some wheelwork over the bumpier, post-kerb part of the exit. also, the exit's wider than the entrance, and the run-off's pretty good, so don't be frightened to give it the berries on the exit. there's plenty of road there, and the exit kerb's OK.

Keep it pinned, natch, down the shute, and you can brake pretty late, but be careful of the bumps on the approach to the last turn. If you're on your own, sacrifice a little bit of braking potential to maximise your corner exit onto the main straight.

Come off the brake a bit, deep into the braking, to give yourself some front spring travel back, then track around the outside of the track edge, until you've roughly got the turn-in-point, apex and ripple strip all lined up. then point and squirt, keep changing gears and bob's your uncle. A lot of cars are, surprisingly, quicker up the shute if they're left a gear taller (EVO, any V8 etc). wouldn't guarantee that with a rotary, though...

Also, depending on how many laps you're running at a time and what pads/fluid you've got, you might want to brake a little easier into the last turn to keep a bit of pedal under you for the faster t1... just a thought.

It's technical, yes, but it ain't exactly a thrill a minute, like a Phillip Island or a Bathurst. On the upside, it's cheap and safe. and it's getting bumpier...

rx-8club.co.uk

I wrote a reply, but it didn't post for some reason! ARRGGHH!!

Anyways, great write-up mickey t. I love T5 - just ride the ripple strip for fun. I made up a lot of time to the other cars running through T2-T6 - anywere else and the car was just down on power.

What do you think of the lines I was taking in the videos?

mickey t

sorry, our steam driven gear wouldn't let me play it...

mickey t

ah, now i've seen it, and i reckon i can find you a bit of speed.

your driving position's quite good, hand position on the wheel is excellent. the basic's are in order.

i reckon you could pick up some speed by smoothing out your steering wheel inputs on turn-in. they're a bit severe and that'll lose you time by unsettling the car. the smoother you can do anything, to a point, and still be aggressive, the better you'll be.

I couldn't hear it, so i can't speak for throttle useage, but it looks like you could carry a little more speed through turn one, and you're frequently not using all the exit. if you're not clipping the ripple strip on exit, you're not carrying all the pace you can.

i'd let it run a bit wider on the exit of the left hand turn two. looks like you're working hard at keeping it tucked in tight for turn three. the benefits of this strategy are time negative, so try letting it run a bit wider there, and you'll still have time to get back on the turn in point for the next corner.

you're probably a little late on turn-in for the right hander (t3), but it's good down to the tight corner, where you're a bit late on the brakes, which makes you struggle to get your apex. you're staying in too tight, not using all the road on exit, and then staying in again for the next ripple strip. don't bother. let the car walk around a bit.

move your apex point for the last turn a bit further around the corner. you're losing speed in understeer where you should be punching up the straight.

other than that, it's a pretty good lap (mind you, i only watched the first three..)
cheers
mt

rx-8club.co.uk

Cheers mickey t,

I was actually going to have Paul McKinnon teach me a little on the day ( http://www.cityperformancecentre.com...aul-resume.htm) - bit of a steerer! but he had a last minute thing.

I want to actually get some decent pads for the car, and put proper fluid in it before I go out again.

On the last few laps that I did, I was being smoother on the steering - but initially I was turning in hard to get a better feel for what the car was going to do (as I had a couple of shockers when I first went out - in the outtakes )

I actually found here that the car didn't have enough power getting it up the hill so it didn't really matter where I put it on the exit and the climb up that short bit?

Points all taken on board - thanks very much mate!
.ps Have you raced before? you have a CAMS licence?

rx-8club.co.uk

.ps I'm sure there is more in the car, even with my driving - practise makes perfect! I'm trying to sort out pricing on the pads etc. before I take it out again.

mickey t

i've raced a bit, hold a CAMS C5 and International Rally licences.

got second in class sharing with Rick Bates at Bathurst 2Hr Showroom Showdown in '02, but that was the last race i did, i think.

I've tested V8 Supercars, raced MG Trophy and GT Production, but i much prefer rallying. too easy to get involved in somebody else's incident on the track and then, if you're not in a crowd, i find a circuit can get a bit boring after a few laps - even somewhere like bathurst (well, it was boring in a sirion, and i haven't raced there in anything real quick).

much rather be flinging it between the trees and this year i'm in the Ralliart Mitsubishi team in the ARC racing AWD Magnas in the Aussie Car Class.

cheers
mt

rx-8club.co.uk

Awesome, I have been told by a couple of good drivers that Rally is where the real skill is at. BTW - check some of these rotary rally videos out:

http://www.rally.no/olea/oleaSTOA02.wmv
http://www.wrc.no/filer/stoa_Atle_Vik_RX7_03.wmv
http://www.wrc.no/filer/lyng_a_fin_kl_2_2004.wmv
http://www.rally.no/olea/olealillehammer02.wmv
http://www.rally.no/olea/oleahellerus02.wmv
http://www.rally.no/olea/oleakonsmo02.wmv

May see you at a track one of these days!