Speedsource RX8 gets first GT win

[seckerich]

Just had to post the news for those that missed the race in Mexico. Qualified on pole with a new track record and won with the #70 car and 3rd with the #69. Good to see Mazda back in the winners circle.

[dj10]

Just had to post the news for those that missed the race in Mexico. Qualified on pole with a new track record and won with the #70 car and 3rd with the #69. Good to see Mazda back in the winners circle. [/b]



They had 2 very good drivers. I wished they would have shown more of the GT racing. What's the deal with the semi tube frame cars in GT? What a great race on the last few laps in DP!!

[Newbie]

Great job by the SpeedSource team.

I could almost feel the extra weight being added as they interviewed the GT-3 drivers after the race. Don't know how Grand Am does it, but I'm sure others would like to see a few more pounds added.

Steve Smyczek
Speedsource ITS RX-7
Originally #74, then it was #47, now it's #17!

[Andy Bettencourt]

You think the SCCA has a tough job juggling prep levels! In GT, Pontiac has the FWD car with a V6 converted to a RWD V8, Mazda has the 3 Rotor in a Riley chassis, Porsche has the factory race car right off the boat...it's crazy!

[tnord]

i think it's such crap and it makes me mad the different prep levels within the same class.

how in the hell do you make any claim whatsoever that a converted RWD family hauler with a Vette V8 in it and completely tube framed with hung bodywork is anything near production?

if porsche is doing any advertising with Grand Am, i'd be PISSED and pull it immediately.

[erlrich]

I don't know, I tend to think the guys at Grand Am are doing whatever they have to in order to keep the series alive and healthy. Besides, how else are you going to get an RX8, a GA, a 350Z, a Corvette, and a GT3 Cup to compete in the same class?

Besides, those guys at Farnbacher Loles are right there, and I'll be very surprised if we don't see them on top of the podium more than once this season.

[Andy Bettencourt]

i think it's such crap and it makes me mad the different prep levels within the same class.

how in the hell do you make any claim whatsoever that a converted RWD family hauler with a Vette V8 in it and completely tube framed with hung bodywork is anything near production?

if porsche is doing any advertising with Grand Am, i'd be PISSED and pull it immediately. [/b]

Who claims that?




1-2.1 Acura TL prep 2



1-2.2 BMW E46 prep 1



1-2.3 Cadillac XLR prep 2



1-2.4 Chevrolet Corvette C5 prep 1 or 2 and C6 prep 1 or prep 2



1-2.5 Dodge Stratus Coupe prep 2



1-2.6 Ferrari 360 Challenge prep 1



1-2.7 Ferrari 430 Challenge prep 1



1-2.8 Ford Mustang prep 2



1-2.9 Infiniti G35 prep 2



1-2.10 Jaguar XK8R prep 2



1-2.11 Lexus IS350 prep 2



1-2.12 Lexus SC 430 prep 2



1-2.13 Maserati Trofeo Coupe prep 1



1-2.14 Mazda RX8 prep 2



1-2.15 Mercedes CLK 430 prep 2 1-2.16 Mercedes SL prep 2

]1-2.17 Nissan 350Z prep 1 or 2

1-2.18 Pontiac GTO, Grand Prix or Grand Am prep 2



1-2.19 Porsche GT3 Cup 2001-200 prep 1



1-2.20 Porsche GT3 Cup 2007 prep 1



1-2.21 Toyota Celica GTS prep 2



1-2.22 Toyota Solara prep 2

</span>

[tnord]

i&#39;m not saying the Porsche is uncompetitive at all, because it most certainly is. i think the rules are stacked highly against it though.

you KNOW that GM will launch an ad campaign based on the Grand-Am GXP.R as soon as it wins something (just like the did with the CTS-V) and will tout beating the worlds best from porsche, mazda, nissan/infinity, etc. those of us that know about this kinda stuff know you can get a miata to beat a vette if the rules are written correctly. but the general public (ie NASCAR crowd) will just see it as "that GXP beat up on that Porsche, i&#39;m going to the dealer and buy one" and drink the kool aid without the slightest understanding that the race car couldn&#39;t be any further from the production version.

it just gets under my skin.

[seckerich]

i&#39;m not saying the Porsche is uncompetitive at all, because it most certainly is. i think the rules are stacked highly against it though.

you KNOW that GM will launch an ad campaign based on the Grand-Am GXP.R as soon as it wins something (just like the did with the CTS-V) and will tout beating the worlds best from porsche, mazda, nissan/infinity, etc. those of us that know about this kinda stuff know you can get a miata to beat a vette if the rules are written correctly. but the general public (ie NASCAR crowd) will just see it as "that GXP beat up on that Porsche, i&#39;m going to the dealer and buy one" and drink the kool aid without the slightest understanding that the race car couldn&#39;t be any further from the production version.

it just gets under my skin.
[/b]
And what stops Porsche from building one?

[tnord]

they&#39;re classed as a prep 1 car and thus aren&#39;t allowed to swap in a giant turbo motor or go tube-frame.

[seckerich]

Doesn&#39;t seem to slow them down much. We were down 5-7 mph on the banking at Daytona to them and the same car that cried so loud at Mexico was up 3 laps on the field when it went out at the 24. Top times for the race were all Porsche. The fields are growing every year and the racing is very close so they must be doing something right. Not that I have any dog in this hunt!!

[lateapex911]

Travis, remember, it&#39;s NASCAR! It&#39;s all about the show! If the teams don&#39;t like it, they don&#39;t have to race.

yea, for the purist, it sucks...but really, this "Porsche vs Mustang" stuff is silly anyway, isn&#39;t it! Any moron knows a GT3 RS will run the wheels off a stock Mustang anything. Rules are the great equilizer, and in the market place, Porsche has to take a few lumps here and there.

In the end, it&#39;s more about the politics of gaining "adjustments" and sandbagging and the unseen internal games than it is about real racing. Heck, even the MX5 pro series this year had fake "Battles" for the lead...when the final position had been agreed on.....well before the checkered fell.

[tnord]

i&#39;m well aware of all the forces at play here.

all i&#39;m saying is i don&#39;t like it and it bugs me. :dead_horse:

[Andy Bettencourt]

My point is that nobody is touting &#39;Prep 2&#39; cars as "production". Not to metion it&#39;s a little much to expect a $30K Mazda RX-8 or a $20K Pontiac to compete with a $170K racecar with 100% factory development and support without some allowances.

If Pontiac&#39;s marketing machine spins it so a &#39;production&#39; G3 beat a GT3-RS, then it&#39;s BS...but is that happening? GAC isn&#39;t pushing it like that. I sure don&#39;t see it like that. What I do see is a abso-freakin-lute rediculous effort by Speedsource and teams like them who have taken on a project and succeeded. It&#39;s amazing.

Understand also that Porsche has PLENTY of weight to throw around. The vast majority of cars out there are 911 deriveratives.

[tnord]

i&#39;ll bet you $1 that you see Pontiac ads featuring the GXP and it&#39;s "winning heritage" when they do eventually win a race. it&#39;s not happening now, but it will.

[dj10]

My point is that nobody is touting &#39;Prep 2&#39; cars as "production". Not to metion it&#39;s a little much to expect a $30K Mazda RX-8 or a $20K Pontiac to compete with a $170K racecar with 100% factory development and support without some allowances.

If Pontiac&#39;s marketing machine spins it so a &#39;production&#39; G3 beat a GT3-RS, then it&#39;s BS...but is that happening? GAC isn&#39;t pushing it like that. I sure don&#39;t see it like that. What I do see is a abso-freakin-lute rediculous effort by Speedsource and teams like them who have taken on a project and succeeded. It&#39;s amazing.

Understand also that Porsche has PLENTY of weight to throw around. The vast majority of cars out there are 911 deriveratives.

[/b]

Sometimes it looks to me as if GA says, ok Porsche won, now it Ponitac&#39;s turn, ok they won now it&#39;s Madza&#39;s turn, next will give BMW a shot. Now I see what is going on in GT, I&#39;ll ignore it and just watch ST, although GM looks like they bought the series last year for the Cobolts.

[dickita15]

Hey say that in pro racing you run the best deal you could negotiate over breakfast. I was talking to a GM guy at Daytona. They are now paying for the good deal and the strong performance of the Cobalt last year.

[seckerich]

Sometimes it looks to me as if GA says, ok Porsche won, now it Ponitac&#39;s turn, ok they won now it&#39;s Madza&#39;s turn, next will give BMW a shot. Now I see what is going on in GT, I&#39;ll ignore it and just watch ST, although GM looks like they bought the series last year for the Cobolts.
[/b]
Just curious how you get this opinion when the lap times for the top 10 at Daytona were covered by less than a second? Sounds like pretty good racing. PS--The Cobalt had a little "extra" that GA did not allow. Just took till late in the season to find it. You guys would find black helicopters at a turtle race and piss about the money spent on shells --then ask for sealed, spec turtles to control cost. :026:

[dj10]

Just curious how you get this opinion when the lap times for the top 10 at Daytona were covered by less than a second? Sounds like pretty good racing. PS--The Cobalt had a little "extra" that GA did not allow. Just took till late in the season to find it. You guys would find black helicopters at a turtle race and piss about the money spent on shells --then ask for sealed, spec turtles to control cost. :026: [/b]



Hmmmm fwd cars turned into rwd, unibody&#39;s turned into semi tube frame. Hell not only does this sound strange to me but it&#39;s also smelling like nascar. :D Hell can I get one of them there cars at my dealer? B)

I&#39;m not suprised one byte bout the Cobolt. What did they find Steve?

[IPRESS]

In the end, it&#39;s more about the politics of gaining "adjustments" and sandbagging and the unseen internal games than it is about real racing. Heck, even the MX5 pro series this year had fake "Battles" for the lead...when the final position had been agreed on.....well before the checkered fell.
[/b]


Jake,
Run that by me with a little more info on that MX5 deal. I am not sure I follow.

Mac

[GKR_17]

...those of us that know about this kinda stuff know you can get a miata to beat a vette if the rules are written correctly. [/b]

Kip beat over half of the vettes with his miata in the ARRC, and those rules weren&#39;t twisted in his favor...

[Andy Bettencourt]

Kip beat over half of the vettes with his miata in the ARRC, and those rules weren&#39;t twisted in his favor... [/b]

HEY! That&#39;s a 944S2!!!! AWESOME!!!!!

[lateapex911]

Mac, certain events developed into inter-team battles, and the final outcome was decided, but a little "racing" for the cameras didn&#39;t hurt. (look at lap charts, see times, listen to radio chatter, and you&#39;ll see.)