Well, I came back yesterday. A day started off pretty good. I woke up early, grabbed the checklist off the table, and ran over everything I had to take with me. Everything was up to spec. When I first got to the track, I had to tech in, but since I was running in a beginner group, I had to go to a mandatory meeting first, so I took off to that w/o getting my car teched. In the middle of the meeting, I get a text from my friend saying that my car is not gonna pass tech, because I don't have a battery strap. I thought my day was over, until someone said that there is an Autozone near by. I roll out real easy from the track to the local Autozone, and pick up a ratchet style strap to put around the battery. The car passes the tech, but I'm too late for my first session.

Now, since this was a performance driving school, rather then OTR, the beginner group was broken up into a few groups, and each instructor led a group through a series of exercises. The runs broke down like this.

Sessions:

1. Lead-follow: Instructor leads a pack of cars to show lines. Maximum distance allowed between cars is 1 car length.

2. Side by side: Same as above, only there is a car right next to you.

3. Passing: We are given two passing zones where we are allowed to pass. Idea is to present yourself, get the passing signal from the driver up front and take over off line.

4. Rolling start. Same as session 2 for two laps, then get single file, hot track conditions. Instructors are allowed to pass anywhere they want.

5. OTR

6. OTR

Anyway, back to the story. I miss my first session because my car was not passing tech, and I had to take off to Autozone to get everything straightened out. At this point, we are about to start the side by side exercise, and I have no idea what the track even looks like. I approach one of the instructors, Carlos was his name (the guy with orange 03 cobra), and ask him to drive my car to show me the lines. Now that I feel a little more confident, I run session two w/o having any problems.

During session 3, I did not get to pass anyone. Still fresh to the track, my main concern was to follow the leader the best I could to learn the lines. Unfortunately, I get held up by an S13 and S14, and we loose the instructor in the Evo. I was a little upset. Also, there was a Civic Si, that was asking for a pass, which I did give to him, but he could not see it because the stock wing, and tint on my window. All and all, the session was not all that great.

Session 4 starts off good, but for some reason the middle of the pack starts to get single file way before it's supposed to. At the middle of the track, they regroup, and we actually get a good rolling start. This is the first session I actually get to pass people. Passed a few 240s, and civic hatch with all the suspension in the world, but no power.

Sessions 5 and 6, I was much more confident in the car. At this point, I knew how to read the tires pretty well, heel-to-toe was right on the money, I knew most of the lines, even though I was still scared of one corner (off camber left , can you say oversteer and wheel hop). The HP+ pads and fresh rotors gave me the confidence to dive real late, and even rotate the car under the brakes (there is a corner that requires that). In the OTR conditions, I mad a lot of passes. Passed 3 240s, all with more power and grip than me, some old pile V12 jag, a few GTIs. My target car was a suspension and bolt on WRX wagon, which was running just as hard as I was. Every turn it pissed me off that he was able to get on power way earlier than me (FUCKING AWD). He was faster on the straights too, and the only place I was able to catch him was the really tight technical stuff, and under brakes, because he was on his way earlier than me.