Pete and Ben's Rotary Racer

[Ben]

Aaaaaand breathe

[Magic Beans]

Busy day at the office then

Have I somehow gone the whole season without coming to one of your races?!

[pistol pete]

Cadwell!!
Or snet on my birthday

[Magic Beans]

Maybe Cadwell. Might be able to get a group together actually

[pistol pete]

Due to Ben living in the wrong part of the country and then buggering off on holiday, i thought i should do a little update where the car is and events its just been in.

So after Croft there was to be a big gap in the season until the last round at Snetterton on the 300 curcuit. This will be on the 27th October, racing on my birthday, what could be better!!! Unfortunately Ben can't make it due to family commitments but we will be doing a track day beginning of November so he gets another go in out in the car.

Anyway, due to such a big gap I had a hunt around and on the 12th October it was to be Javelin Sprint Series last round at Cadwell Park. Now due to a slight mishap at the beginning of the year

meant i missed Cadwell. Which is by far my favorite track in the UK. So i entered.

I then looked at who was in my class, some pretty serious machines, couple of fully built clios, a very tuned civic, mildly tuned civic etc. so looked like Racecat was going to be out gunned in weight and power.

During the last few rounds not much has been done to the rex, due to building myself a new garage with a pitched roof that i can use my ramp in, but with that complete i thought it was time to see if we can improve the rx8 ready for Cadwell.

So with regular updates and consulting with Ben, i put racecat up on the hoist and set to work
DSC_2176 by peteandkel, on Flickr

DSC_2182 by peteandkel, on Flickr

First job with no Ben round to stop me, it got one of my Zombie decals
DSC_2171 by peteandkel, on Flickr

next job was to get the weight out of the doors, as you see from Ben pics above that the windows are now much lighter, the all the electrics and motors were removed from the door
DSC_2175 by peteandkel, on Flickr

I then manage to acquire some plastic sheeting from work to make door cards of sorts and Ben order a couple of door pulls so we can pull it shut.. I spent far too long trying to decide where to put the pull, somewhere to reach to shut the door, but not in the eyeline when driving or to be annoying. Got there eventually and very happy with how it sits.

Then moved onto the rest of the car. first up was removing the radiator, with have a mushimoto radiator and a Spal fan to remove the stock ones. We were not happy with the switch inside the car that controls the fan, as a few time we have left the fans on overnight ended up with a flat battery race morning, wanted to wire them into the ignition.

Front fell off https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m5qxZm_JqM
DSC_2183 by peteandkel, on Flickr

managed with the Rad out of the way to get the last of the air con pipes out
DSC_2194 by peteandkel, on Flickr

Also knowing we wanted to get the heater matrix out and the coolant was drained, disconnected and re-routed the coolant pipe to miss out the matrix
DSC_2195 by peteandkel, on Flickr

new rad and spal fan
DSC_2204 by peteandkel, on Flickr

Went saw a friend (Sileck motorsport wiring) who sorted me some connectors and wiring re wire the fan switching and the new interior fan (get to that in a mo)
After discussion, as the rotary gets hot we decided to to run the Spal fan off a switch inside the car so we can have it on when queuing and as soon as we come it, but wired to the ignition so we don't forget to switch it off

Refitted
DSC_2206 by peteandkel, on Flickr
DSC_2209 by peteandkel, on Flickr

As I had got this far, decide that might as well get the heater matrix out. which then turned to a bigger job of get rid of some wiring, and the random control boxes..

Only issue being the its in my garage and you have to let the rx warm up before shutting down, i couldn't test each thing as i removed to ensure the car still worked.. i just was very carefull about what i removed checking what everything done.
many many many cuts later this was all happening

DSC_2200 by peteandkel, on Flickr
DSC_2198 by peteandkel, on Flickr
DSC_2212 by peteandkel, on Flickr
DSC_2213 by peteandkel, on Flickr

starting to get back together
DSC_2215 by peteandkel, on Flickr

FREE POWER!!
DSC_2218 by peteandkel, on Flickr
DSC_2231 by peteandkel, on Flickr

looking a lot clearer behind the dash now
DSC_2216 by peteandkel, on Flickr

Tidy up the wiring a bit (a lot of this can come out but that will be over winter, also checking the clocks still work)
DSC_2220 by peteandkel, on Flickr

now there was a large hole behind the dash where the aircon and heater matrix pipes used to feed through
so a blank was made with a bung incase we decided to run any wiring ourselves
DSC_2232 by peteandkel, on Flickr
It was fitted, bolts and then sealed in place

Lastly we now no longer needed the stereo unit for Fan controls, i couldn't believe how much that weighed, but we still need some form of fan for in the car
from another motorsport friend put me in the direction of this
DSC_2227 by peteandkel, on Flickr
which can do hot and cold air, also can swivel up to windscreen to demist, or direct at driver for some circulation


sorry for the bad pictures, but the light was shining straight in the garage
wired up a switch panel to control the new interior fan and spal fan ( this is temporary until i get some material to make a better panel over winter)
DSC_2256 by peteandkel, on Flickr

It has the toggle and push button for starting the car but not wired in yet, if anyone knows which wires on the ignition witch i need to use that would be amazing!!!

Got the front end back together as well, fitted a new tow strap
DSC_2251 by peteandkel, on Flickr

It was then time to see if it would fire into life after all this work

https://youtu.be/l9DC3wZc7fI

i have tried to embed the video but don't know how it works


No .. Doh, i am now thinking, hmm i have a week till racing at cadwell, this could end up being a long week, so pulled out all the stuff sitting the garage i had removed from rex and looking at the random control boxes, first tried plugging back in the airbag system.. no luck
then has a flash of though i had removed the keyless entry gixmo box, maybe the immobilizer goes thought it, plugged that back in and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9acuzi-nRw


After a good check over and topping up the coolant it all worked. cleared the ECU error (which was unable to see immobilizer) pulled it out the garage and a good check over before loading it onto the trailer
https://youtu.be/sBpVOFiXqvI

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/sBpVOFiXqvI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen></iframe>

then put the porsche in the garage ready for some work, the window regulator needs some work, also new exhaust manifolds for more noise and cam cover gaskets, maybe a few other bits
DSC_2272 by peteandkel, on Flickr
DSC_2272 by peteandkel, on Flickr

I then set about weighing everything i had taken out of the car, then added the weight i had put into the car (new rad and spal fan) to work out what weight saving we had managed.. 48KG in total.. very chuffed with that

So a few days pass by with the car sat on the trailer.. Its Race weekend
The race is on a Saturday as its last of the year so people can have a drink sat night without worrying about work Monday (I don't drink but the awards ceremony is always a good laugh)

So Thursday loaded up the shogun
DSC_2276 by peteandkel, on Flickr
Friday midday, look forward to the M25 traffic off we got
DSC_2283 by peteandkel, on Flickr

Got to Cadwell park around half 4
DSC_2284 by peteandkel, on Flickr

off loaded the car ready for saturday
DSC_2285 by peteandkel, on Flickr

The trailer unhitched, got this picture.. this thing is amazing built to do everything i want it to
DSC_2287 by peteandkel, on Flickr

I was staying at the Paddack Scamblesy
https://www.thepaddockatscamblesby.co.uk/en-GB
half mile up the road, and would recommend to anyone, they have three rooms, will get up in the morning and cook you breakfast for whatever time you want it, poached eggs sausage and mushrooms waiting for me and 6.30 was nice start to the day.
The also set you up in the room with fizzy drink, water bottle, sweets, crisps and fruit, all free and for you to take to the track the next day.. and my favorite, a couple of large shortbread biscuits

Raceday here
DSC_2293 by peteandkel, on Flickr
and the sun was shining
DSC_2297 by peteandkel, on Flickr

So last year on the last dry run i manage a 1.40.9 I want to at least match that this year, Scrutineering and sighting runs were done. practice started..
Straight away the car felt very different to last time on track, last year we were at the top of second but not enough for third in the first section of corners, this time however i ran out of revs in second very quickly, noted to try third on the first timed run.

while waiting for first timed run had a good chat with fiends, catching up with people.. but still missed not having Ben around to banter with..

So off to the first run, and the car felt great, third gear through the first section was a great call could really throw the car around now (its lighter, better seats harness and new alignment on last year)
Also what is great that surprises everyone, due to the way the car revs and no torque you have to change gear through some of the sweeping corners, but this car it just doesn't unsettle it, which helps massively

Come over the line with a 1.39.23 i was over the moon.
I knew there was more in the car, and i wanted to see a low 1.38 maybee a 1.37 at this point
so over the next we runs i was a solid 4th in class getting down to a 1.38.01 on run 4. I was only half a second behind 3rd place (6 in class)
Decided i needed to do something drastic, Ben doesnt let me tinker with the suspension much when the car feels good, but its such a smooth track i stiffened the coilovers 10 clicks harder..thinking well if its worse ill just go back to original settings for last run

Off i went, came over the line thinking that felt good and should be a high 1.37.. and actually was a 1.36.85 I was chuffed. This had now bumped me up to second in class. Kate in the clio has been complaining that her new tyres had been terrible all day and swapped back to the r888r's hoping she could claim back at least third.
so it was on for the last run of the day, I went out was going really well. Then i missed my breaking point for the goose neck just pushing to far, just got a bit out of shape still came in with a 1.37.11 which again i was still happy with. Kate manage to jump me and put in a low 1.36 meaning i got pushed to third in class..
Sam who had been sitting in a comfortable 2nd all day now on the last run found himself in 4th, like me he mucked his final run up and finished 4th. But it made for a n exciting last couple of runs between the three of us. 1st was a heavily modified well built civic that was flying all day ended with a 1.34.49 (we have an aim for next year Ben)

Also good news for Kate because she had put that last run in it meant she took enough points to win the Class for the year (well done Kate)

With the cars that were in our class i was very pleased to come away with a third place, i just went and aimed not to be last in class.

Cadwell still sits as my favorite track
DSC_2301 by peteandkel, on Flickr

I came home with a trophy
DSC_2307 by peteandkel, on Flickr

a bit of phone photo inception

DSC_2306 by peteandkel, on Flickr

Racecat was brilliant and did not put a foot wrong all day, Is now re-fueled and sat on the trailer waiting for Snetterton in just over a weeks time for the final round of the japanese/Mazda sprint series. The family is coming up to watch it will be their first event of the year, so fingers crossed the weather will be on out side.. but lets be honest, end of October its going to be wet!
Its a shame Ben can't make it. he will be missed everyone always ask where my partner in crime is, i think we are the Burt&Ernie of sprinting

So untill Snet then, I am sure Ben will take over the writing of these updates, he has his teeth in he will do all next year,.He does a much better write up than me, words are not my thing

Here is my Video of Cadwell, Inside video didn't work for my fastest run, have also put my 2nd fastest run against the rx8 last year and the mr2, shows the MR2 with mid engined and wider rear tyres was better off the line, but once the RX8 catches on the hairpin it just walks away, my driving has also improved a lot since the MR2 it would seem

Enjoy

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVn45yu3tFE




anyone know how to embd the video i have tried using youtube link but don't think its worked

[pistol pete]

FB_IMG_1539691275674 by peteandkel, on Flickr


taken my pistonbroke photography (Darren) love this pic