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cameraman
11-18-05, 01:50 PM
Riley has built a steel tube RX-8 for the team.

http://www.theracesite.com/images/news/10722_1_sm.jpg


MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development today announced the continuation of its partnership with Florida-based SpeedSource, Inc. to produce a Grand American Road Racing Association Rolex Series GT-class Mazda RX-8. Set to make its competition debut during the 2006 Grand Am season, the Grand Am GT RX-8 is based on a tube-frame chassis jointly developed by SpeedSource and Riley Technologies, and powered by Mazda's three-rotor 20B rotary engine.

Link to story (http://www.theracesite.com/index.cfm?pagetype=2&form_article=10722)
Sean O'Gorman
11-18-05, 02:12 PM
:thumbup: :thumbup:

Love the sound of those rotary engines.
extramundane
11-18-05, 02:31 PM
Why would anyone would plop down almost $300K for a tube-frame lump like that when you can score a 997 Cup for 100K less?

I guess everything in the "GT" class will be tube-framed and silhouette-bodied before long. Can a common template be far behind? :thumdown:
FCYTravis
11-18-05, 02:45 PM
Judging by the DPs, I'd say a common template is about the last thing you're going to see in GT.

BTW, why the long face? The most successful American GT series ever was made up of tube-frame silhouette cars.

How quickly we forget GTO/GTU.
cameraman
11-18-05, 03:20 PM
Why would anyone would plop down almost $300K for a tube-frame lump like that when you can score a 997 Cup for 100K less?

You are asking why a group called MAZDASpeed didn't buy a Porsche? :saywhat:
extramundane
11-18-05, 03:41 PM
You are asking why a group called MAZDASpeed didn't buy a Porsche? :saywhat:

No, I'm asking why any customer would buy that when for a lot less money they could get the most successful GT racer in history, and all the benefits thereof.
extramundane
11-18-05, 03:44 PM
Judging by the DPs, I'd say a common template is about the last thing you're going to see in GT.

BTW, why the long face? The most successful American GT series ever was made up of tube-frame silhouette cars.

How quickly we forget GTO/GTU.

That was also 20 years ago. If I want to see GTO/GTU rehashed, I'll watch HSR.
FCYTravis
11-18-05, 03:47 PM
I'd take the Champ Car of 10 or 15 years ago over the Champ Car of today... so yeah, going back to the future doesn't seem like a bad idea.
Methanolandbrats
11-18-05, 04:06 PM
:thumbup: :thumbup:

Love the sound of those rotary engines. No hope of running that thing on street courses, no hope at all unless they bolt on mufflers.
FCYTravis
11-18-05, 04:10 PM
Wonder how the Mazda rotary LMP2 is going to do it at Houston? :eek:
Steve99
11-18-05, 07:39 PM
Tube-framed GT cars is yet another thing I don't get about Grand Am. What is wrong with production based GT cars?
Sean O'Gorman
11-19-05, 01:06 AM
That was also 20 years ago. If I want to see GTO/GTU rehashed, I'll watch HSR.

Yet you guys point to the RS Spyder as being the 962 of 20 years ago the car for today in ALMS. ;)
FCYTravis
11-19-05, 03:32 AM
Steve99, like I said, it seemed to work quite well for IMSA.