https://www.youtube.com/embed/eR0sbGJd_bY
Is racing in the rain really an art? Someone should write a book about that. Regardless, finding grip on a wet circuit can quickly become a challenge for the inexperienced.
Luckily, pro driver Tanner Foust is no stranger to wet conditions and shares his tips and tricks for finding grip in the rain.
My rain tip: The painted lines might be slipperier. Or not.
My rain tip...avoid it if you can. :) If you can't be vewwy vewwy kehhful till you figure out where its slick and where it isnt. Which way would you rather lose a race? By crashing cause you were foolish or because you drove too slow but kept the car and yourself in one piece?
In reply to livinon2wheels :
Well, that, too.
So, several years ago at Sebring, I was in a Subaru–and just got clobbered by all the GT3 Porsches. But it was a track day, so who cares, right?
But then it rained. :)
Love that guy. He is a very good and very talented person
In reply to jfryjfry :
He's our second-favorite stunt driver. :)
And, seriously, Tanner has always been very kind.
David S. Wallens said:My rain tip: The painted lines might be slipperier. Or not.
Learn to drive on snow and ice. Rain is a cakewalk after that.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
And then the front straight flooded. Sebring can turn into a lake REAL quick.
In reply to hobiercr :
If you have a weak heart don't try to drive drive Mid-Ohio in the rain with any pace at all.
In Canada we race on ice in the winter. We have stud classes, but we have more cars running rubber to ice (no studs). Lots of body contact, you don't want to bring the wife's grocery getter.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
I guess that subie showed those Porsches a thing or two in the rain huh
gbuff said:In reply to hobiercr :
If you have a weak heart don't try to drive drive Mid-Ohio in the rain with any pace at all.
It'll be interesting to see how Mud-Ohio is after the repave. I actually know a couple of people who are pissed about the reapave, because they actually ENJOY the place in the wet. And they've got it figured out about as well as you can figure it out.
I was first out in a Lemons race after a rainy night on a totally wet track. My plan was to get behind the fastest car of the weekend and follow him. We took a line that crisscrossed the dry line reducing sweeping turns and extending the straits, it worked amazingly well. After a several laps the track started to dry at which point he walked away from me.
A track day included an hour or so of just enough rain to need wipers. I wanted my moneys worth so I worked on SMOOTH, only lost about a second and a half per lap. Continued smooth on a dry track took almost a second off my lap times. Rain is a good teacher.
gbuff said:In reply to hobiercr :
If you have a weak heart don't try to drive drive Mid-Ohio in the rain with any pace at all.
I won't even drive my tow rig in the PADDOCK at mid-o in the rain.
Great advice from an experienced pro. I'd add: Vision. If you are in a race car with no defroster or no windshield, prepare your windshield or face shield with a product like Rain-X anti fog. Being able to see is number one. Quick trick, a little dish soap on the hand and wipe the glass, then just leave it. it will spread out and prevent total fogging. Good luck, Rainmeisters!
More on what Randy was saying at our last lucky dog race we ran a new to us Volkswagon we had owned for about 3 weeks at that point.
Before the event we knew it would likely rain. We coated all the windows inside and out with Rain-X and installed a new blade on our one wiper.
Around mid afternoon the skies opened up and our driver flipped that switch. The wiper began flopping all over the windows like a giant wacky waving inflatable flailing arms advertising man, hyper extending to strike the mirror then only returning halfway... It was amusing, but we had to bring him in.
the splines in the arm had stripped out giving the motor no grip. A rubber glove between the shaft and the arm got us back on track, but it took about 7 minutes. With lap times in the 2 minute range, that's 3.5 laps.
So check all your equipment. Even the little stuff you don't think about can put you off track.
If a fast guy catches you let him go and follow him,easy way to learn the lines or crash can go either way :)
My best rain moment was being sent out for Quali in a LDRC race at Calabogie in the rain,did 4 or 5 laps and came in saying too much risk to go looking for more time.
Hopped out and checked the tablet in our lit and timing showed we were 17th,hmm gonna be a long day if we're that far off.
Just then guy in the pit beside us says nice job to me,I said 17th isn't so good and he said your on pole by a mile.
Hit refresh on the tablet.....ah thats better lol.
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