Just For Ben

The third session of the day on Friday had some interesting moments for me. I traded a couple of passes with a Cadillac CTSV, and then caught up with '06(?) WRX; if I remember correctly after climbing the uphill essess. Around South Bend and up to Oak Tree I close too much and have a bad run out onto the back straight. He gives me a pass signal but walks away from me as his turbo kicks in. I catch up again in roll coaster and hog's pen, and down the front straight he pulls away again. There's no way I can get by him on the short straight before the uphill esses. By the time we get back to Oak Tree two corvettes and an M3 have caught us. My instructor tells me to lay back and let them by... since they won't have any trouble getting around both of us (insert Clarkson-esque "POWER!"). The WRX lets the two vettes by, but holds the M3. The M3 gets by on the front stretch and get to follow the WRX back around to Oak Tree. There's no pass flag from the corner worker there, although my instructor is jestering that he should have it out. We play it cool and try to get a good run onto the front straight... only the WRX completely botches hog pen and I have to get on the brakes a bit. Climbing onto the front straight we get the pass signal, and then his boost kicks on. My instructor tells me to get to the right, and 'just stay there'. So I stay there through the kink where we start pulling him in again. As we hit the blend line I ask my instructor if he wants me to pass him underbraking? He replys, just stay the right. I smile behind my helmet... no problem. The WRX brakes at the '5', and I go to the just before the 3, and use all my brakes (Hawk HPS + brembo blank + Fit = no fade!) drop from 4th to 2nd and get to a speed I know I can make the right hand line hugging the curbing of turn 1. As I make the right I check the mirror to see the WRX slide in behind. So I hit the 'power' and track out after 2 and run 3 and 4 pretty well. I just about nail the uphill esses and glancing over after passing Oak Tree shows the WRX just entering south bend. From the video, I was running a 3:10-ish behind the WRX, the lap after I passed him (including the pass) I did a 2:52.