Rain at the track

[TigerNSX]

I have just had a track day at NHIS, and it was pouring and wet all day long. It was not really fun, and I lost a lot of confidence in my driving skills. I almost felt like it was a first day at the track except for that I was not having fun.

I could not really follow the proper line, and now I feel like I don't know what the proper line is anymore.

Hopefully, I will regain my confidence at the next event.

 

[JPS Europa]

First time in the rain is very difficult. I have only done it in formula cars and at least we had real rain tires and could make changes to soften up the suspension and change the brake bias. I heard that the track had wet and dry spots, which is the worst of all worlds. Be happy, you did not hit anything! I also heard that you ran into my friend, Billy...not literally of course! How did you like his Europa? I have been helping him with it for the last couple of years.

 

[TigerNSX]

I also heard that you ran into my friend, Billy...not literally of course! How did you like his Europa? I have been helping him with it for the last couple of years.

Yes, I asked him if he knew you. I really loved his car! Of course, he did not push his car to the limit due to the rain, but I was equally impressed with his car as much as 2 Exiges at the track!

Paul, you are too talented.

 

[DocL]

If you find yourself at an event and it rains, you can do two things.

1) Leave and forget about it. It's better to have lost only a few hundred dollars than it is to incur thousands of dollars in damage to your car. Or...

2) Go out on the track and take it very slow and just learn how the car reacts on the slippery surface.

I have been at a few events where it started to rain and I just packed up my gear and left for home early. The risk does not outweigh the benefit when the conditions are not ideal, and it's not like you are trying to qualify for the pole.

 

[AaronR]

The first time I seriously drove in the rain was in an open wheel car at a Sears Point Russell Racing school, talk about nerve-racking! The one thing I will say is that you can really learn easier in the rain if you are a newbie becuase the rain line is easier to see if people are using it correctly Plus you are going slower so you have more time to concentrate on other factors.

As you get more wet track time in it gets waaaaay easier. Being a wet tire tester is fun for me now that my comfort level is higher, but in the beginning is was really scary!
Aaron

 

[docjohn]

Tiger, a few rainy schools per season is an advantage,and you should use it to learn to drive smoothly.There is also another line,the wet line which is slightly different from the dry line.Your instructers should teach you about this and should show you how to use the wet as a way to explore the adhesion limit at slower safer speeds and to teach smooth definate inputs.In general the wet line is a late turn in and often takes you wide of your apex at slower speeds.Don't fear the rain and don't retreat from it ,you'll be a better driver.My only dislike for the rain is that the inside of the car gets wet and nasty because we need to run with windows down.

 

[RSO 34]

I hate the rain also but it does help the learning experience and will assist you in daily driving on slick roads. Just take it slow and chalk it up to being part of the HPDE.

Last year I had rain on 6 out of 8 days at the Glen and it becomes very frustrating. You still need to learn it but after having so many days I had a tendency of skipping runs early in the day more out of concern that someone with less experience in the rain might be driving over their head. I prefer to let the group get used to a track that I might be more familiar with in the rain and then rejoin them in a later session.

 

[Andrie Hartanto]

I like rain. It is a great HP equalizer. Last 12 hrs race at thunderhill was great. It rained when we get a green flag, and I advanced 20 position in the first 1.5 hrs.

 

[Nimbus]

I don't mind the rain either. It really brings out the driver with better car control skills and better sense of vehicle dynamic awareness.

 

[Tank]

The only time I beat this Z06 that I'd been racing for more than a year was in the rain. And I beat him by a good margin. Rain can equalize a lot of things.

 

[Kroger]

I got my first experience with rain and a track out at Mid-Ohio lapping days for their driving school. The benifit of this was I was using the school cars (acrua RSX-S's) Previous lapping sessions earlier in the summer were all clear skys. This one decided to storm. This is where I relized my skill level. After a few lead follow sessions to get familiar with the wet line it was off on our own.

After a few laps I gained a utmost respect for those drivers who i.e. F1 cart whomever who drive balls to the wall in the rain. My coach a former F1 driver soon pulled me off to the side and had me switch seats. In his Irish voice was screaming out "plenty of grip plenty of grip" as we headed up to the keyhole. I was amazed really upon how much grip there actully is in the wet line. After a few dozen laps I was quite comfortable with the cars ability in the wet. Ultimately it made me a better driver in both the wet and dry.

 

[OLDE GUY]

A wet track

Nothing focuses the mind like a wet track. I have found that I can concentrate tremendously well. I have learned to like it and accept the challenge. The only thing that I don't like is the rain coming into the windows of my NSX.

It does separate the smooth drivers who have a feel for their car from those who use brute power and rough imputs. Sooner or later you MUST learn to catch the rear end slipping out. It is better to learn this on the sharper/slower turns and at the slower speeds of a wet track than at the higher speeds of a dry track.

Remember to look where you want the car to go ON THE TRACK - don't focus on off track objects like tire walls, etc. If you do, that is where you will end up. Look where you want the car to go and your hands will get you there!

The line does change as mentioned above - a safer approach to each turn. You never want to run through a puddle of water at significant speed - you will hydroplane. Generally, you initially run off line looking for the drier track - nothing is more slippery than a tire-rubber rich track with fresh water on it - except wet grass!! Eventually some oil and rubber will wash away with heavy rain. At some point, more experienced drivers with go back to THE race line and it will dry (providing that there is no more rain). You then have a clear visual path to follow - the race line. Until it rains again and washes the line away.

 

[freelance201]

I think we should all look at this as an great opportunity to learn the limit of the car better.
You can learn so much more driving in the wet than in the dry just b/c the car reaches its limit a lot slower than dry days.
Shoudn't be too stressed about it and most importantly.....drive safe and have fun!!