Pocono D/E in the rain? Do you go or not?

What are D/E's like in the rain. Is it really as much fun?

As long as you calm down and really slow down, at least until you get a good idea with respect to traction, I feel like you can learn as much or more during the rain as at all other times. It reduces traction and makes it much easier to get to "the edge." That said, some of my best friends have wadded their cars up in the rain, so you really, really need to respect track conditions. No need to be a hero.

Todd hit the nail on the head.......don't let pride get in the way or you will have potential for some seriously bad juju. If you can set pride aside, the learning curve for driving in wet conditions is much better since you can (as Toss stated) can get to the limits faster and learn.

Ditto what Todd and Dell said. Rain tends to seperate hot heads from good drivers. Just tune it down and work on the line and smoothness...

I'm in the same boat. Debating whether to go for the past few days, but after constant monitoring of the weather, I have decided to pass. I was only going to go for the 1 day (Sat.), but was really looking forward to go too as it would be my last DE for the season. 100% Precipitation....Yuck! Are you still going Chris? How much rain will it take for them to cancel or do they never?

i'm scheduled for both days and just decided to take a pass. i'm bummed out as the pocono full de on 7/8 was also completely rained out. time to put my michelin cups to sleep for the winter...

I think I am going for the saturday session.. I am doing the early am deal. Arrwin, I have only seen them cancel for snow, not rain.

Running in the rain is a good thing to do once or twice, after that forget it. The "rain line" usually conssts of going slower and avoiding local trouble spots. There is a lot more feedback when wet but like I said once you do it a time or two, enough. Not worth the water in the car and potential for trouble. Albeit running at full speed in the rain at PDE was pretty cool, but that's a totally different deal. Now when it rains I pack it in or find something better to do.

Well, having just got back from the glen...in the rain, I'd pass, what are you trying to prove? Like Doug said, do it once, go slow, avoid the concrete, then store it and bag it. We got one session in this am, then it started raining, in my second session the rain got heavier, four guys wiped out ( a M3, a F car, a viper and a espirit which was really f'd up), probably a 150K of damage in one session, and this was an intermediate/advanced group(pda). Like I advised Chris(Rocketman), it really ain't worth it in the rain, and the 'rain line' is way overated anyway, as he contemplated taking out his very sweet GT3. I was at Pocono in the rain also, that place floods easily, I'd pass. Oh yeah, and the drive back to LI on MSCups was a blast too.

So I guess our $$ is a wash too, eh?

No, driving DE in the rain is not as much fun as in the dry. You WILL, however, be forced to stay calm, be smooth in all inputs and probably learn some lessons that will make you a better driver. But, is it as much fun? You'll be wet and cold, part of your car's interior will be wet and cold, and you'll be driving with about double the tension and angst. For some comprison, here are two in-car vids I took at Mid-Ohio, one wet and one dry. Mid-Ohio Dry Mid-Ohio Rain

Thanks guys. While I said I was going, I never made. Accidents, Brooklyn Bridge closed, etc, etc.. Took me an hour to get from Brooklyn to the entrance of Holland tunnel at 5:30 am. With at least 2 more hours left, to get to the Poconos, I threw in the towel.

May of been a blessing in disguise as the rain never seemed to have let up the whole day.

I have a DE scheduled on the North Course this weekend (10/15-16). The forecast is for showers (30% chance) and highs in the low 60s, but at Pocono you can never tell what the weather will be form moment to moment. I'll go for sure and if it's wet I'll back it off in the bowl and seek extra smooth inputs, which is one of the things I planned to work on anyway. In the wet it'll just be more obvious whether I'm any good at it or not. I am on street tires.

Did anyone go this past weekend?

Chris, BMW Club event? What run group are you running in? I'll see you up there...will be testing out my new 265/295 setup! Darren

Yes, the Delaware Valley BMW. I think I'll be in yellow, but I registered late so I might get moved to another group. Look for me, and I'll look for you!

The bowl is not an issue for Pocono north course in the rain. You can drive relatively fast in the rain in the bowl especially in street tires. Its from turn 3 to 5 you have to be really careful. To the best of my memory braking for turn 3 was my biggest problem. Kam

I can see braking before turn three being an issue, but more than before turn two? I thought the bowl would be a challenge as the lateral forces are quite noticable for a long time there. I guess I'll just feel my way around. I was very surprised how much grip I had on a wet East Course on the motorcycles. Riding/driving in the wet is good practice.

I think the braking zone for two has more grip than three in the wet. The track slopes down from apex of one to entry of two. There is a little stream comming across the track between apex in one and braking zone for two. I suggest constant gas from apex of one to braking zone for two. I was accelerating between apex of one and braking zone for two one time and got a little side way when my rear tires hit the stream. Have fun and be safe. Pocono looks safer than it is. You don't know how many dips you have when you go off track. I found one or two places off tracks where you don't want to get to. Kam

Thanks, Kam. I'll look for that stream. This is a far cry from the tap the brakes at turn in to one and then hard on the gas past the apex to the braking zone for two. I fully intend not to go moto in the mud.

Yetis, there is a better route than thru the city to hit 80 BTW, do the BQE-GC-Whitestone exp-Cross Isl-295/95 route, much quicker and avoids the city.