The Mazda RX8's are one two on the pole at VIR Rolex GT race.
The question is: how soon before the race organizers do something
to handicap the rotary engines yet again?

Paul Lamar


It has to do with who strokes the SCCA best...spelled Porsche.

Ron G

No Doubt about it. Porsche has a lot of pull.
What I can't figure out is how all the RX8's wound up in the back of
the pack after a yellow pit stop mid race. Sylvain in the 70 found
himself dead last and worked all the way back up to second at this
point that I am watching now. He passed about one or two cars per lap.

Hey John D what happened?

BACK to the TVIO to see who wins. We need a separate race for the GT cars.

Paul Lamar
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Moral of the story is that qualifying doesn't matter in endurance racing.
I don't think Porsche isn't sweating too much over the RX8's with
Pontiac's 1,2 in GT. Personally, I'm amazed at Porsche's relatively
poor performance at VIR compared to their blow-out at Daytona.

Vlad


The RX8 came in third from last in the middle of the race.
The Pontiac's are now probably using the 7L LS7 Chevy motor.

I saw the LS7  at the PRI show in Orlando in December 2008.
It has  a forged crankshafts and titanium rods.
Sodium cooled exhaust valves and titanium intakes.
They did this to get the red line up to 7000 RPM.
Peak power happens at 6300 RPM. Makes a good 400 HP
aircraft engine for a couple of hundred hours :)

All this is a  first for Chev LSx engines. Prior ones
had cast everything internal.

Crate engine price
is about $15,000 for the Chev 7L LS7 with injectors,
intake and exhaust manifold less computer.  A real bargain
but you better buy one while you can still
get them. HP is 500 for the normally aspirated LS7.

What I want to know is; since when is a seven liter engine
a "Small Block"? :)


The 3.9L Mazda three rotor is probably putting out only about 450 HP
at 10,000 RPM so no telling how much at the mandated red line of
only 8,500 RPM . Mazda should really start putting the 3 rotor in the
stock RX8 street car.

Everything counts in endurance racing. If you can go faster on the track
you can win all other things being equal. The Mazda engine is absolutely
reliable. I cannot remember the last time a Mazda rotary had engine
failure in any race. The question is: why where they last in the middle of
the race after qualifying on the pole? They must have had trouble in the pits.

John D, what happened?

Paul Lamar