One of the slowest race car classes ever created. Take a normally aspirated 81-85 12A RX7, add off the shelf ST springs and bars, generic Tokico nonadjustable shocks, a 2.25" open pipe from the stock manifold back, and a $500 bolt in roll cage. That's it.

Vintage 1980s solid axle handling, 100-110 HP at the rear wheels if you have an engine custom built (must be stock, no porting allowed).

Power to weight ratio of a sea slug, making it a pure momentum car.

If you can make one go fast, you're a good racecar driver...

Several ex Spec 7 drivers currently drive in Grand Am, World Challenge and have been pretty darned successful there. Most can't afford it though - which is why they are driving $4,500 race cars.

 

the 1:40 time is pretty easy in a TT - I've had four days of track time at Willow and am a pretty crappy driver and am consistently in the 1:40 +/- one second.

 

weird that this thread popped back up for no apparent reason.

Anyway, i may as well update. I sold the cobra based on this one track experience. I did not feel like putting the money in to get it set up to my liking and even then i'm not sure that i would have had confidence in it.

I have been back to Willow a couple times since. Fastest lap is a 1:38 in the GT2 with stock wheels and tires. I really pushed it hard that lap. I would guess there is only another second or so that a really good driver could get out of it without R-spec tires. With race rubber i would expect a really good lap to be around 1:31-1:32.

I would guess my S2000 on street tires would be around 1:45 for a fairly well driven lap.

 

Jeez, that mustn't be that exciting. I wonder if anyone has ever fallen asleep while lapping?

 

Quote:

Originally posted by offroadr35
I have been back to Willow a couple times since. Fastest lap is a 1:38 in the GT2 with stock wheels and tires. I really pushed it hard that lap. I would guess there is only another second or so that a really good driver could get out of it without R-spec tires. With race rubber i would expect a really good lap to be around 1:31-1:32.

A really good driver at WSIR in a GT2 on street rubber should be able to run 1:31 or better.

 

i'll believe it when i see it. I could see a REALLY good driver maybe around 1:33 at the best. But of course, it's hard to imagine what a really good driver would do when you're not a really good driver so i could be wrong. the street tires just don't seem to have enough grip in them to shave off that many seconds.

 

I think it is do-able. If a T-1 Vette can do 1:28 on race rubber, the more powerful GT2 can likely hit 1:31 on its street rubber. The driver would have to be say a top level club racer or better and have a fair amount of seat time there. But, I'd be willing to bet that it could be done.

 

Well, what makes them fun is the fact that there is often 20+ identical cars in the race and the racing is very close.

Once you learn to look very far ahead down the track, the forward acceleration part of road racing doesn't provide the excitement any more. It's the lateral accleration, and occassional backward deceleration that provides the adrenaline.

Well, that and close wheel-to-wheel racing...

Just my $0.02 from 9 years of road racing in everything from karts to Spec RX7 to GT cars.

P.S. Now, in drag racing, the Spec RX7 would be about as exciting as your average minivan, and Spec RX7 drivers tow vehicles are often quicker in a 1/4 than their race cars.

P.S.S. I still wouldn't go back to Spec RX7 racing. While the competition was great, I have grown tired of body work and people in $4,500 race cars often seem to think that it is ok to hit each other every weekend. After going through two chassis and probably 20+ weekends worth of bodywork, I'll never go back to racing inexpensive cars.

 

If your car is aligned right, a 1:30 should be possible in a stock street rubber GT2 if you push it to the very edge of the safety envelope. Several people have done it.

With R compounds and aggressive camber, 1:27 or so should be the magic number.

I know that MetalSolid can hit low 1:30's all day long in his GT3 on Corsas in 100 degree weather.