Actually, it was so good that most sanctioning bodies changed their rules so a rotary could no longer compete. Really though, the biggest killer of rotary engines is the owners ignorance. They had some issues, back in maybe the sixties and early seventies. But those have mostly been resolved. they have a tried and proven track record. Speed source and mazda won more then they lost with the rx8 platform. The 787b was so successful, le mans changed their rules so the car could no longer compete, how many cars do you know that won the over all le mans championship, back to back, on its first two years racing? Even the scca ended up making its own class, it7 for rotary powered cars to compete in because it killed everything else that it was classed with. That said, find me another 1.3l engine that can reliable push 400hp and be daily driven. I don't need to defend the rotary, its legacy does it all on its own. just do a little research.
Dab, I think every enthusiast is a little masochistic. Look at what the stewards, zero, cheeb and the rest of us put ourselves through for a video game.