[wastintime]

Hey everyone,

First, I apologize profusely if it sounds like I'm bragging, but I just got off the racetrack, and I haven't quite come back down to earth yet.

It kind of pains me to post this, but I have to give a lot of credit to Subaru. I just got back from the racetrack (Roebling) where I went in my '04 WRX because the 911 wasn't really ready, I figured it would be a good learning experience, and I didn't think I could handle taking the RSA with no A/C there. Overall... on the skinniest, crappiest, street tires you can run (Bridgestone RE92s) on the WRX, with about 50 less hp, 300 extra lbs, but comparable suspensions, I came within 4-5 seconds of my fastest 911 times at the same track.
My first run in the car, I thought I hated the car, it was so different, power steering was screwing me up, and the tires... jeez.
I got faster every session though. Lol, it helped that I hate 996s, and got within sight of one, so I pushed a little too hard to get around him and then kept picking up the pace.
I took it as a great compliment that at the event I was running at, I was running in the advanced group for guys with race liscences and things like that, and right before I was leaving, I had one of the guys in the group with a 911 who I've seen at a bunch of PCA events come up to me and tell me it was so neat being on the track with me because every session, every lap I was going faster and faster and by the end I was keeping pace with him.
So, the WRX was a blast... it was too easy to drive though... it just felt great, it was forgiving, it had no understeering problems, I could come off throttle rotate it exactly as much as I wanted and get back on it. Granted I do have a really nice coilover suspension on it, but it was just a blast to drive. It was very underpowered compared to the 911 however, it felt slow compared the RSA. It was my first experience with full course passing too, so that was pretty fun actually, it was different, and a little nerve wracking at times, but definitely fun.
Toasting the tires was great. I need to keep them as a souvenir. I literally drove to the limits of the tires, they were just chunking and losing rubber like crazy. From turn one to turn 9 they were just screaming at me. Lol, everyone thought I was spinning going around 4, but the problem was I hadn't upgraded the brakes, other than pads and ATE blue fluid, yet, and I just couldn't slow down enough after 3, so 4 was getting pretty exciting.

I still love my 911, but I certainly see where the WRXs are bada$$es not just at rallying, but with a good suspension, they are very road course worthy. Had I had the 70 more hp of the STi, I probably would have at least cut the gap in half to my 911s times.

Anyway, sorry for going on guys, but I'm still excited as you can tell. I'll try to post some pics in a second.