DE in the rain?

I'm going on Nov 24th(Sunday) hosted by Tracknutz but I think it mite rain during that time. Is it just as fun or less fun in the rain? I runned basically on dry aspahalt so if anyone here has done track sessions in the rain- any advice would be of help. Thanks. Mike

Did that on a wet track, in a drizzle after a heavy all night downpour. It's certainly not as much fun as dry. You have to have your windows open, so the inside can get pretty messy. There is the so-called "wet-line", which I learned is as variable as the number of instructors at the track, and constantly changes as the track gets wetter or dyer. As anything else, as you get better at it, it becomes more fun. But, I like speed, and you can't get the same speed in the wet as in the dry. I'm at the stage where it is too much pain to drive a track when it's raining. Maybe I'll drive in the wet, but definitely not while it's raining. I have decided that I would rather lose the dough than drive in the rain.

I take every opportunity I can to drive in the wet. There is no better way to improve your car control and it's a whole lot of fun. It will make you a better dry track driver. Once you get comfortable it can also be a good opportunity to work on new techniques, like left foot braking or using the throttle to rotate the car, at a slightly reduce speed. Not slow, just slower.

Ahh... this is how you become a RainMeister! You will find out many new things about your car (and yourself). Smooth has a new meaning

I love to drive in the rain too. However, I don't agree with trying new techniques in the rain. Learn throttle steer in the wet could end up with a spin easily. I would just drive normally but slower to see how the car handles. Once I find grip I would try to gradually increase my speed. It is a lot of fun. Check out my picture with my 996 and I driving in the rain. I'm in the Blue 996: <a href="http://www.rtr-pca.org/pocono501/single01.htm" target="_blank">http://www.rtr-pca.org/pocono501/single01.htm</a>

Here is my thinking around working on new techniques in the rain and remember I said "after you get comfortable" which means to me a fair amount of wet experience. Obviously the limit of adhesion is far lower in the wet so learning how your car will react to changes in throttle, etc. can happen at a much slower speed. Everything is a little bit exaggerated so you can easily make the car understeer, oversteer or rotate. You also can gain some slower speed experience in "saving it" when things go a bit wrong. Unless you have access to a wet skidpad there are few other opportunities to really feel how your car will react at it's adhesion limits. Either way, do everything a bit lighter, a bit slower and have fun. And, if they make you run with your windows down you'll need to find a flexible teenager to clean the inside of your back window. It will be a mess.

You have to get the experience somehow. Get it at the track, in a controlled environment, with an instructor. It will do nothing BUT improve your overall skill in the long run!

I think it's something you should do once but that's about it IMO. It's good experience, but slow speed in the rain with open windows just isn't worth it. Now when it rains at the track I pack up and leave

[quote]Originally posted by 996FLT6: <strong>I'm going on Nov 24th(Sunday) hosted by Tracknutz but I think it mite rain during that time. Is it just as fun or less fun in the rain? I runned basically on dry aspahalt so if anyone here has done track sessions in the rain- any advice would be of help. Thanks. Mike</strong><hr></blockquote> This will probably be your best driving experience. I took a motorcycle racing class the other week and it was pouring down with rain for both days except about 2 hours before the end. I was worried that this was going to be a waste of money and that falling off was on the cards. What happened was that I spent every session concentrating on smoothness to the point where I ended up going faster than I have ever gone in the dry. The capability of the bike and tires in the dry is way higher than my capability as a rider. In the wet, the capability of the bike and tires comes down a litle but it's still higher than my ability (and most riders for that matter) so you still get a chance to improve. When the rain had stopped and we had a dry circuit I couldn't believe how much faster I was going because the smoothness that I had been practicing remained. When the track is dry you'll put almost all of your enery into going fast. This means that your remaining concentration will be put into braking, balance, throttle control, etc. When it's wet the reverse is true and it's these things that make you go fast.

I like a dry track better than a wet track, but I learn more on the wet. As far as getting too messy, my experience has been that I get a little water on the rug and door, but not too bad really and no dirt or grime ... but the exterior definitely gets pretty grimy.

Thanks guys for your insight-if it's not raining like cats & dogs then I'll be going and it is true like others said- it would make a better driver in those conditions. Regards. Mike

FLT6 Dry = Driver's Education Wet = Driver's Advanced Degree You'll learn more, and quicker in the wet. and everything mentioned about smoothness is dead on. Just a little water spray inside, thanks to the aerodynamics (at least in the previous model), and it towels right up. Plus it's really a lot of fun passing all the turbos coming off corners. M in C