Originally Posted by Glyphon

i've been skydiving...there's nothing like it. and when the chute opens, you go from ~130mph to ~20mph in a few seconds.

back on topic, you got any more of L8's pictures to put up? :D

Originally Posted by TorqueAholic

About the shifting thing and gear ratio's. I learned some interesting stuff by following guys at Barber that had basically the same car but with different final ratio's (And were leaving me in the straights)

Being the TorqueAholic, I did some research on Corner-Carvers and downloaded a Shifting Points / hp/ mph / rear wheel torque calculation spreadsheet.

Once fed with the proper data points, the spreadsheet will spit-out available rear wheel torque at all speeds in any gear.

I plugged in my cars hp / torque curve, transmission ratios, final drive ratio, and tire size than did some analysis on the results and confirmed what I experienced @ the track: When trying to maximize rear wheel torque (Acceleration) The whole minimizing the number of shifts is to be taken with a grain of salt as having your engine in a higher gear can cost you up to 55 lb/ft of torque at the wheels ( Im my case) when you need it most.

I would not be surprised that the penalties are a good bit stiffer for you guys as the RX-8 derives a high % of it's rear wheel torque out of the gears torque multiplication effect. (That's why the rotary has such a high redline).

For my setup this spreadsheet suggests that I gain by red-lining 2nd gear and also gain by short-shifting 3rd at about 5400 rpms which would support wailing out of 7 in 2nd but going to 4th in the front straight (which I don't normally do)

That was a mouthful to say keep your mind open and try stuff you might just learn something (And get faster )

All in all that was interesting / good tech out of Corner-Carvers I can show you a link if interested.

Originally Posted by TrackAddict

Once again - awesome performance Silver.

A couple of points to add:
turn 7 in 2nd gear - I think turn 7 is easily taken in 2nd gear as the shift to 3rd doesn't occur until after track out. I have been taking it in 3rd forever but in March when STF instructed me, he suggested I use 2nd to power out when I was going to pass someone coming out of the corner. I have done that since that day to pass and it gives a great sense of acceleration. Other times I just stay in 3rd and it "feels" slower as the car isn't in its power band to leap out of the corner. maybe it is faster to keep it in 3rd but I am not certain either way. Another reason I have kept it in 3rd is to minimize the number of shifts. I also am prone to occasionally having a hard time sliding the shifter into 3rd when trying to execute a quick 2-3 shift at red-line with my adrenaline pumping.
turn 6 - I tried keeping it in 4th for turn 6 based on Charlies advice a long time ago and it didn't feel so good so I have been downshifting to 3rd for that turn. However, I was lucky to go on the van ride on Sunday morning and the instructor was explaining that to execute turn 6 properly you need to come in hard and trail brake into it not thinking about accelerating to turn 7. He said in his spec miata his data logger shows him entering turn 6 at 105 and exiting it at 80. So instead of accelerating thru the turn, you slow through it. it makes sense if you think about it. Following turn 6 is a braking zone for 7 which is the slowest corner on the track. You won't gain much by braking early for 6, then accelerating through it to turn 7.
Esses - I am torn here. If I keep it in 3rd, I have a much more relaxed time in 5. I feather the throttle to stay off the rev limiter though so I may could go a tiny bit faster but I don't think I want to go appreciably faster there. If I shift to 4th, the car is more planted and can go faster but 5 is busier. I guess for me I have chosen the "easy way" but will play with it my next time at RA.
The great thing about this hobby/activity/sport is that there is so much to learn and improve. just when you think you figured out a corner, you learn something new. Just when you learn something new, you go faster which changes how that corner feels...

Originally Posted by Marietta 8

Wow! i can see the propeller on your beanie spinning from here! Great info proffesor. I am pretty well stuck with the gearing I got so optimizing is the key.

Originally Posted by Marietta 8

I have not been in the 8 on RA since last December but after this weekends class
I am real interested in trying how it will feel trailing into 6 instead of attacking it like I have done in the past. It really seems to prevent overcharging into 7. It all really make sense when I felt the difference. I also picked up a lot by following the outer edge on entry to 1 although never really mastered it to my liking. Same thing at 10a. I was completely blown away at what 1 foot more to the right can do for turn in and then the resulting exit speed.

Originally Posted by Marietta 8

I like the settled feeling of 4th through the esses in both cars. The 8 requires the downshift for 5 but the RX7 does not (gee, I wonder why?)

Originally Posted by Marietta 8

I miss being able to pass in the esses!

Originally Posted by TrackAddict

One mod I made Silver do is hold 3rd a bit longer going down the hill into 12. He tended to shift right after the bridge. He was able to accelerate better and still shift to 4th before turn in keeping the car perfectly balanced.

Originally Posted by olddragger

dang Charlie you hitting like 150 or so on the back straight? That is one of the fastest pass I have seen on an 8 coming out of 7 by anything we have been on the track with.
olddragger
looks good too!

Originally Posted by SilverEIGHT

Here is a clip of Charlie smoking me on the back stretch. L8 is my passenger. I knew Charlie was coming fast so I didn't want to let up too much, just a little. I wanted to see just how fast he was. He's DAMN fast!

Getting Smoked by Charlie