John Shiels

If you do want to run in the rain pick your risks. By that I mean don't go flying into the corner that has a concrete barrier, that could be very expensive Even some corners with no barriers can make your car flip if it goes sideways and grabs right. Don't be a hero and get use to it slowly.

The second problem is no matter how careful you are there are always some guys who want to fly and don't have the skills. When they do make a error they can't correct it like on a dry track and you may be the recipient of their lack of skill. When people like that come by point them by. I mean I have gone 135-140 down front straight at Pocono with slicks in a light rain and it feels OK.

You are not getting prize money and have no sponsor except your wallet I am sure.

sperkins

Here's my only experience with racing in the rain. The worst part was that the track was constantly changing with rain popping up here and there and then partially drying. It was a mess.
I think the key is to push as hard as possible, but always be on the hunt for dry track. Obviously that would be different for consistent rain and on rain tires, but we were on slicks. There were quite a few Oh Crap moments here.

Part 1
http://vimeo.com/30027479

Part 2
http://vimeo.com/30032157

betelgeuse

You're right. No prize money. Just a trophy.
I guess I could say wife is my sponsor She's nice enough to let me have 2 track cars and a tow rig

Greg

John Shiels

so run it and hand her the bills if you hit.

sebdavid

Guys, I must say I'm a bit disappointed that most of the feedback runs in the same direction.

I always tell students the car, left to its own devices, will only sit in the parking lot. You're the one in control. If you don't go out in more challenging conditions (challenging to you), then the lack of trust is not with the car, or the tires, it is with yourself and your own driving.

The only way to push through that is to go out, and learn, progressively. Of course you'll run into problems if you expect anywhere close to the same level of grip as on the dry! Standing water is no friend to wide tires, heavy cars, and in those conditions lots of power don't help at all.

But treat the car gently, use the throttle as a pedal and not an on/off switch, and you'll find out that with smooth inputs, you can have a lot of safe fun in the rain. Whatever happens happens at slower speed, so you actually have more time to analyze what's going on.

I will always go out, no matter how wet or cold it is. I've been out with my previous E36 M3 as well as my current C5Z in miserable conditions many times. Never even spun once (never n the dry either). Yes, I got out of shape many testing the limits of grip, but keeping this exploration progressive allows me to stay within my own limits, and keep things under control.

You guys saying it isn't a professional race and there is no prize money; you're right! To me, that means that you have all the time in the world working up to the limits at a pace that feels right to you, instead of having to go out and be fast in the first session. Leave that to the pros crashing other people's cars.

But by all means, try to go out in the wet. Don't expect to be fast. Much less expensive/powerful/exotic cars will pass you. Perhaps because their drivers have more experience or raw speed, but also because the power difference counts for much less, weight difference has a bigger impact, and stiffer cars don't work as well in wet conditions. Also, if there is standing water, wide tires tend to float a lot more, given the same weight, especially if their tread isn't the greatest for water evacuation. Sof forget about the lap record, and just enjoy the challenge. I'm probably faster in my stock WRX than in the 'vette on some tracks in the wet...

I've never been on the grass in the wet, but I assume it is much more slippery than usual. Stay off it. All the more reason to work up to the limits slowly.

That's my take on it anyway, for HPDE or time attack. Wheel to wheel, perhaps you'd like to make sure the guys running around you are trustworthy.

One last thing: on many corners of many tracks, the rain line is completely different (sometimes opposite) from the dry line. On some others, not so much, especially if the track is very new or very green (not a lot of rubber on the asphalt). Stay off the shiny stuff!

naschmitz

Driving slowly around a track in a car that breaks loose at 0.4G lateral loading is not fun to me. It doesn't bother me if that disappoints you either, quite frankly.

sebdavid

Didn't mean for it to be an attack, sorry if it seemed that way. I'm not disappointed in anyone's individual answer (to each his own), more on the fact that there doesn't seem to be many people expressing the opposite opinion. I'm afraid it'll make some newbies reading this not even try to go out in the rain and sit out whole events.

For me, driving slower, if it's at the limit of grip, is still lots of fun. Hence why I do ice events; we go VERY slowly (mostly sideways) but still have huge smiles on our faces.

I also didn't mention reduced wear and tear, which is a factor in my enjoyment...

betelgeuse

I agree with Bert. My average speed towing my car to the track was probably as fast or faster than my average lap speed. Not much fun.
I run Time Attack with Corvettes of Mass ( comscc.org ). Not going to set any records in the rain anyway.
I do think new students should get all the track time they can....rain or shine.

Greg

rayk

I'm only a Level 3 HPDE, but I agree that driving on the wet is different and can be a lot of fun. It's very hard to be consistant the faster you go when you start slipping a lot. I thought it was a lot of fun trying to find the limits.

The Panther

Driving in the rain is fun, but I don't do it anymore. Wrecked a C5 going 35mph on the street after hydroplaning. TC/AH on - car just went straight no matter what I tried to do. Tires only had about 3000 miles on them. On a track that would have been ugly and might have caught someone else up in it too. Plus my insurance picked up the tab.

argonaut

I'm with you on this. Up until about a year ago I really didn't like rain days, especially in the Vette. One cold and rainy day at VIR our classroom instructor asked - 'who likes driving in the rain?'. Some hands went up, many didn't, including mine. He went on to explain how he loved it and felt is was a fantastic opportunity to hone your car control skills and try things you normally wouldn't due to the decreased speeds (just like you point out).

Having basically wasted a lot of money sitting out rain sessions in the past, I determined then and there I'd sit out no more and work at becoming more comfortable and confident in the wet. The biggest thing for me was the purchase of some decent rain tires. I didn't want to go to a specialty tire like the Hoosiers Wets but rather a street tire to drive to/from events. After some reasearch I mounted up a set of 275x17 Continental Extreme Contact DW.

Last season I experienced three rain days and used these tires. I'm totally impressed with them. They gave me the confidence I needed to start enjoying the wet conditions and work on a few skills I normally don't practice much - left foot braking for example. In the dry I rarely have used LFB because of the speed, high-g forces, pucker factor, etc. But at the greatly reduced velocity in the wet I have started using it liberally and really enjoy it. I can clearly see how it adds another tool with which to control the car.

So anyway, for what its worth, a good set of tires has totally changed my perspective on this.

PS: the Shenandoah track at Summit Point has a wet skid pad (of the tracks I've been to its the only wet pad I've seen). Sometimes I think I have as much fun on that pad as I do on the track. Great place to pratice power oversteer

sebdavid

If TC and AH are on, then my comment about the driver being in control is less relevant... For me it's everything off on the track at all times. Of course for liability reasons, I can't recommend the same to anyone else, and especially not students, so the only thing I can do is advise to go slow enough not to trigger the electronics. Which, in the rain, can be very slow.

sebdavid

Thanks for the comments and THANK YOU for the vouch for the ExtremeContact. I was about to order a set and now I'm confident it's the right tire for me. Will use it as a wet track and drive-to-the-track tire.

Timz06

I love the rain. I pray for rain every race-the great equalizer!