@
cmiovino
I'm glad things are improving. Being relatively new to a manual definitely can cause some delay. In fact, you would be surprised at how much time you can shave off with a good launch and a good 1-2 shift. Aside from the actual time, there is also the tempo that it sets.
As for the Type-R, I consider it to be in the wrong class personally. While weight has a significant impact on overall performance, there are always cases where added power can definitely fill in the gap lost to excess weight and it's my opinion that the Type-R has pulled that off. It might be different if the added power were aftermarket but Honda has a lot of engineering talent and they aren't slouches. It's just one of the weaknesses in the SCCA classing system (again, just my opinion).