I will second this as a NASA Great Lakes member. In HPDE4 we practice full race drills all the time. Group is open passing with point bys advised but not required. We have downloads every Saturday and Sunday session. If there are issues then they are openly discussed, no going behind the back stuff. Our Group leader is a racer and watches every session from different vantage points around the tracks and also jumps in random Instructor cars, joining the group on track. If open passing is scaring people in Group 4, there should be 2 Group 2's. Even our Group 3 has many capable, situationally aware drivers, who as TMSBOSS states, get thrown in with Group 4 for 3 wide start drills which then turns into a multi car passing fest as the faster cars try and work their way through the field. I personally still give point bys to faster traffic and also use other hand signals and flashing high beams to let cars I am approaching know I'm coming from a distance. Some, not all drivers in small light cars such as Miatas and S2000s have been told that they can keep Mustangs behind in the corners and then wait for the straights to let us past. This is dangerous IMHO and they get very surprised when we are able to roll around them on the outside, under power in faster turns, Or take the inside line under braking on entry. The adage that "if you see a car suddenly appear that wasn't there the lap before is MUCH faster than you" needs to be what is instilled in even experienced drivers of slower cars. In TT and Race we are gridded by lap times, though impractical for HPDE, drivers know which cars and drivers are the quickest after the first 2 morning sessions on Day 1 and should line up accordingly. Find a friend(s) with similar speed and go and have fun. Then be aware of the front of the pack whou after 5-6 laps will be around to lap you. It is not an insult and there is no shame or glory but it is a chance to practice race craft and get better. I run with friends in the same ST2 class race cars that are 1-2 seconds quicker than me at many tracks, some places I can be quicker, but I follow their lines and don't overdrive or block them when they are measurably quicker. Sorry for the rant but the whole point of NASA HPDE4 is to prepare drivers for Competition, if getting passed, quickly and suddenly, scares you, then you are in the wrong group and should be discussing moving back to HPDE3, not whining about the bad man in the white Mustang who stomped my Corvette on 4 year old, 20 cycle Hoosiers.
