where can i find 3rd gens racing?
 

Hey,
I am wondering where I can find 3rd gens racing on a professional level. I noticed an RX-7 racing in the Japan GT series. I cant really find any others though. I want to know cause i want to see how their cars are setup and how well they compete. Thanks for the help!

-Jeff

the japanese touring car is not a modified stock car. it is a purpose built race car with a carbon fiber/fiberglass body to look like an RX7. there have been several 3rd gens race in World Challenge, but these cars are on the old side and have been nearly regulated out of pro racing. last model was like 96 or something(don't quote me on this date). in racing 7 years is a life time.

are you saying that it would not be worth buying an rx-7 right now for racing it competitively in the future? I want to buy one but I'm still contemplating because I'm not sure what other cars I can race competitively, granted it would take me couple of years to be at the level that I can race, but still

for club racing the RX7 has its place. the 3rd gen and turbo II tend to be stuck in the unlimited or "run what you brung" classes, but the first and second gen N/A cars are raced competitively in several classes. For pro racing(speed world challenge and grand am) it doesn't make sense. the cost to build a car for this series is tremendous and the RX7 is just not competitive with the current rules. maybe the rule makers will be easier on the RX8, but history shows this to not be the case. my suggestion is to do some research. find the local race group or sanctioning body, check out some races and see what class is popular in your area. ask questions and see what makes the most sense for you, usually based on cost and reliability. then get the rulebook and go from there.

Turbo cars in general get hampered by the rules on almost every level of racing. Primarily because there is no direct mechanical equivalence for NA cars. The FD3S also gets another ding because it's already fairly light. Most other hi-po cars get to remove a fair amount of weight WRT their power-to-weight ratios. Then add in that the suspension design and chassis are a little out-dated (10 years now), and it really becomes a uphill battle to make the FD professionally competitive. On a local level, SCCA I & II, ProSolo, club racing ... the 3rd gen can be made to be dominant, but it will cost you a bunch. And you will have to compete in the unlimited, free-for-all classes. Financially, I wouldn't want to campaign a wheel-to-wheel FD3S racer.

But as far as the RX-8 goes, we'll see how much backing Mazda gives in Touring car competition. I'm sure they don't want to renege on all the sponsored Protege competitors, but I'm sure we'll see one or two RX-8 newcomers.

I'd love to see RX-8s running in speed GT, Grand Am GSII or JGTC 300.

I agree about racing the FD in wheel to wheel, for all the reasons plus the cost of body parts :) Not a hell of a lot of FD carcasses in junkyards I imagine.

PaulC