Club racing can’t ever be dismissed as casual. A 500-horsepower rotary sitting under the hood of a first-gen RX-7 and an aero-clad, WTAC Evo VI squaring off spells for a bit of drama – and an informative dogfight as well. Obviously, there’s nothing holding the Evo back on the straights, but surprisingly, the RX-7 manages to keep it within striking distance thanks to a few gutsy bits of late braking.

The 2.2-liter motor generates generous amounts of torque at low revs.

Being more powerful and presumably grippier – those wings on the Evo turn heads – it’s hardly surprising that in the fastest corners of this track, the Mitsubishi manages to spread the lead. Almost miraculously, the nimble little RX-7, while traction limited, looks to have the edge in slower corners and undoubtedly in braking zones. No matter the advantages the Evo holds, the RX-7 claws back with determination. You can almost see the bit in the driver’s mouth sticking out of his helmet.

Plenty of aero and 600 horses give the Evo strengths down the long straights and through the fastest corners.

When the two drivers are within a few feet of one another, the show takes a turn. The Evo’s driver begins to drive defensively; blocking the inside and forcing the nimble Mazda the long way around the corner. Nonetheless, the Mazda is all over him like a cheap suit, and motivated by this charge, the RX-7’s cornering prowess is on full display. Nimbler, at times neater and certainly more dramatic, the little RX-7 gets a convincing run on the Evo in a few sections – and you can almost smell the perspiration on the drivers’ brows. It’s in situations like these, with the red mist abundant, that one can bite off a little more than they can chew.