Even with that much more power, the driving makes a HUGE difference. That's why ugmsti433's (then) stage 1 07 STi once lost to a stock WRX (through 2nd, 3rd and 4th I believe). Andrew's normally a good driver, but he was sh*t in that race
Matt, with your bigger turbo, if you don't start in the "sweet spot" and Rob does, his VF-43 is going to pull like a bat out of hell IMMEDIATELY while you're still trying to spool and build momentum. If he shifts faster than you, it's the same thing over again.
From 3rd- on, are you lagging severely between shifts? Also, you know what to look for with a slipping clutch, right?