The Road to Topeka - Chike's official 2008 Autocross Blog Thread (B-stock Mazda RX-8)
 

Several SVX Network members asked that I start an autocross blog for my 2008 season in my B-stock Mazda RX-8 as it'll help my friends on here stay abreast of my progress. My friend Shawn, will be my season long co-driver. We plan on doing 1-2 National Tours and at least 2 Pro Solos. It is also our intention to attend both the Pro Finale and Solo Nationals in Tokeka, Kansas in Sept, '08.

The Car
2006 Mazda RX-8 purchased from Carmax with 12,600 miles on the clock the weekend after Thanksgiving in '07.

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...-07/RX-805.jpg

http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...-07/RX-806.jpg

The Set-up
I'm bascially prepping the car fully to the rules of the SCCA 'stock class.' Current upgrades include:

• Adjustable Koni yellow shocks
• Whiteline front swaybar bushings
• Mazdaspeed version 2 lightweight catback exhaust
• Green performance panel air filter
• CG lock seatbelt restraint
• 18x8" +48et gold OZ ultraleggera wheels
• 245/35/18 Kumho V710's
• Performance alignment

Pic of the wheels:
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...OZwheels01.jpg

Mazdaspeed version 2 catback (7lbs lighter than stock):
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...ortmuffler.jpg

I did a test & tune event with the Mid-Atlantic chapter of NASA on February 10th. Felt comfortable in the car and I didn't feel like they were too many winter cobwebs to brush off.

My next event is the 2008 SCCA Dixie National Tour this weekend in Cecil, GA. Shawn and I leave this evening.

Good luck, Chi ke!:D:cool:

Thanks a million Tom. I'll definitely update this blog with my results as the season progresses. It's nice to finally be in a well-prepped car. No excuses...just time to shut up & drive! :cool:

I kinda like the RX-8 there is girl who looks like Paris Hilton (yeah but with the stupid also) and she is on her cellphone everytime I see it. I waiting for the day I see it crashed on the side of the road with her on her cellphone. GL on everything :)

What did you do with your stock rx8 rims? :D

Good luck Chike. I'm no fan of the RX-8, and wished you went another direction, but I wish you well, you know that. You should have gotten a Cayman. :D

Thanks for the well wishes everyone. I'll update this blog later in the week. My co-driver and I are "content" with our results in the 2nd ever autocross we've done in the car. Need more seat time.
LOL. They're my daily driver wheels Tim. :)

Dixie National Tour, Cecil GA 2/23 - 2/24
 

My co-driver Shawn and I attended the Dixie NT at the South Georgia Motorsports Park this past weekend. It was our 2nd event ever in the car, and I was Shawn's tire warmer as he has quite a bit of experience autocrossing rwd mazdas (ES miata & STS2 miata), while my only experience has been in my former awd WRX.

BS was in the first run group with a 10 person class. Most notable entrants were Carter Thimpson (finished 2nd & 3rd in BS at the '06 and '07 solo nats), and Jason Ruggles (who trophied in STS in '07).

On Saturday morning, there was a light rain coming down for the 1st runs (no deep standing water) and I was sliding all over the place. By our 2nd runs, the rain had stopped and dry pavement was starting to appear in a few spots. I had a big slide on this run and missed a gate, causing me to dnf. By third runs, I was able to put a so-so run down and was 8th out of 10 in class. Shawn feared better in the slick stuff and was in 4th (last trophy spot). All the later run groups got dry conditions that day. :rolleyes:

Sunday was bright and sunny, but seeing as we were the 1st run group, temps were in the upper 40's range (48F on my temp gauge). Our first runs were throw-aways as both my co-driver and I forgot to turn off the stability control! :lol: 2nd runs were much better, I was able to run the lines I wanted and almost keep my foot in it as long as I needed. Both my co-driver and I came in with similar 48.6xx runs (fastest clean times were in the 47 second range). By my third and final run, I went banzai on course - carrying a good amount of speed through the slalom but went into the turn-around too hot. Front end slid wide ~15ft, got her back under control, got on the gas again and banged off the rev limiter as I headed into some fast offsets on the way back to the finish. Pushed wide again in the first sweeper, did the next one well (but lost momentum from botching the previous sweeper), and came into the final turn before finish, where I got a little timid, and finished with a similar 48.6xx as my 2nd run - oh what could have been! Shawn lowered his time to a 48.0xx on his final run but felt he was being timid through a few areas. The class winner, Jim Fossum, turned a clean 46.xxx time on his final run.

I fell to 9th at the end of day two, while my co-driver fell to 5th. We're content with these results and we're both looking forward to getting more seat time in the car. We're very happy with the car's set-up so we won't be tinkering with it much...just working on the nuts behind the wheel. :D

Final Results:
B-Stock-----Drivers: 10-----Trophies: 4
T 1 51 Jim Fossum 2008 Mazda RX-8 Slv Kumho 62.180(1) 50.283 50.102 96.566
Greer, SC Mazdaspeed/Kumho Atlanta Re 49.276(1) 47.216 46.464

T 2 46 Michael Cavanaugh 2008 Nissan 350Z Blu Kumho 55.411(1) 50.683 49.894 97.154
[146] Falkville, AL My Wife Tennessee 48.537 51.148(2) 47.260 (0.588)

T 3 198 Carter Thompson 2004 mazda RX8 Gry Kumho 52.628 49.994 50.460 97.338
[98] Murfreesboro, TN Vettesport/Koni Tennessee 48.647(1) 49.244(1) 47.344 (0.184)

T 4 77 Wayne VanVoorhis 2005 Mazda Rx8 Pur Kumho 58.038(2) 53.141 51.250 98.958
[177] Atlanta, GA thanks Adrian! Atlanta Re 49.765 47.708 47.780 (1.620)

5 170 Shawn Roberts 2006 Mazda RX8 Gry Kumho 54.908(1) 51.063 52.600(1) 99.113
[70] Woodbridge, VA Washington 51.951(1) 48.691 48.050 (0.155)

6 146 Josh Cavanaugh 2007 Nissan 350Z Blu Kumho 57.775(2) 51.675 56.346(2) 99.362
[46] Huntsville, AL Team ITSS/TSD/Pops Tennessee 48.280 50.137(1) 47.687 (0.249)

7 97 Jason Ruggles 2007 Nissan 350z Slv Kumho 55.432(1) 54.135(1) 51.507 99.906
Margate, FL stranoparts.com Florida Re 51.589(2) 48.399(1) 48.458(1) (0.544)

8 98 Jim Thompson 2004 mazda RX8 Gry Kumho 62.018(4) 53.404 63.384(2) 101.496
[198] Cleveland, TN Vettesport/Koni Tennessee 54.490(2) 49.265 48.092 (1.590)

9 70 Chike Dellimore 2006 Mazda RX-8 Gry Kumho 56.500 DNF 53.266 101.872
[170] Crozet, VA Team Exit Strategy! Blue Ridge 52.365 48.606 48.696 (0.376)

10 177 Adrian Wells 2005 Mazda Rx8 Pur Kumho 57.545(2) DNF 53.604(1) 103.661
[77] Snellville, GA Atlanta Re 50.057 52.755(2) 50.388(1) (1.789)

Link: http://www.scca.com/documents/result...20Results1.pdf


I haven't come across many pics for BS at the event, but here's what I have thus far:

Carter
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...0NT/Carter.jpg

Ruggles
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...NT/Ruggles.jpg

Fossum
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...0NT/Fossum.jpg

Cavanaugh
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1.../Cavanaugh.jpg

Roberts
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...20NT/Shawn.jpg

Wells
http://i32.photobucket.com/albums/d1...20NT/Wells.jpg

Not bad for your 2nd time out Chike..:)

I'm looking at all the competitors and seeing that almost everyone has the same car, so it seems as if its a competition between driving skills and not so much the vehicle :cool:

Chike, always nice to read what you're doing in the autoX. :)

How much do you like your RX-8? :D Does it burn oil a lot? If yes,
what is the burn rate?

Same here. I love that RX-7 though. Buddy O' mines has a 94 RX-7. Bada$$ little space ship :D

But yes, good luck with the Autocross, Chike!

Exactly. BS is basically an RX-8 and 350Z class with the occasional E36 M3. It definitely came down to driver's skill.
Love it. Wish I had bought one sooner. The Renesis is designed to consume oil. Consumption rate is a bit under 1 qt every 3,000miles.
Thanks. My third run on Sunday gave me a glimpse of what I could be capable of in this car - heavens knows what my time would have been if I hadn't screwed up those few spots. I need to be more consistent in the car and that will come with seat time. By the time the DC Pro rolls around, I want to take names! :cool:

Cool. That burn rate is not too bad...I heard it was lower from the salesman. Just make sure you have oil would be fine. Chike, what kind of engine oil you put in this type of engine? How many quarts can it hold for your 1.3?

Sorry, what does BS stand for? (I am sure it's not bull**** :D)

Just B-stock???

Castrol 5W-20 non-synthetic. It takes 3.7qts at an oil change.
Correct.