First wet track day

[325is///M-tech]

Well on Thurday I attended my first track day in the rain. The morning went well as the rain stopped during the drivers meeting and the track was no longer getting soaked. Time to go on track came and I did a couple recon laps to test grip then I thought everything felt ok then on the exit of a left uphill corner the back came out and I did a lazy slide half spin into a dirt bank. :curse: Car came to a stop and the worst went through my head. Got out of the car and saw that it was all intact say for the right side wheels and tires which had came off the beed. So I got pulled out of the bank and drove the car back to the paddock and looked over the car. At that time the Event cordinator came over and asked if I was ok (i said yes) he then asked if I had more tires (i said yes) then he said get them on and get back out there. Great guys that ran this event!!! So the lesson I learned is not to apply full throttle in the rain on a "green" track untill the car is settled and or straight. Lesson learned and the car seems to non the worse for wear. here is a pic a fellow lapper took for me.

[Axxe]

Fun times, I've done that before :D

[ddavidv]

Best way to learn to drive is on a wet track. If you can master that, the dry will be no problem!

[track6]

The experience you get driving in the rain is fantastic. I've done few track days in the rain but I've mostly been fortunate enough to stay on the track.
I came close once at Beaverun where I nearly backed my '96 Cobra into the fence. Just like you say - the rain stopped and I got ahead of myself. I was really just moving my foot to the brake pedal, not actually braking yet. The back end jumped sideways about 10 feet at about 110. I chased it, saved it, stayed 4 wheels on, and got back straight. Problem was I was still doing 100 at the 200 sign before a corner that I needed to be doing 45 for. I was in full antilock past turn in trying to slow enough to make the corner. I finally had to crank the wheel or drive off the track into another wall. It was ugly but the car is still in one piece! Next time I wasn't quite as fast through there!

[MikeE30325i]

i seriously need ot find a track near my house to go have fun on. and practice. it would fundamentally the way i drive.

[BM5W]

It sounds as if you didn't have an instructor riding with you. Did you?

I've driven a couple days in the rain, one of which was on really bad tires and a very low compliance car (high spring rate and big sways). My instructor, the head instructor, was pretty nervous. You really learn how to drive smooth. It is an eye opening experience, that made me scared and cautious of driving on the rainy streets with other drivers who have no clue of where the limit is.

[Charlie]

http://www.charliegrafton.com/videos/Oops.wmv

Yea, wet tracks can be fun.

-Charlie

[Dave]

My only experience was this past Spring. We went out in the first session after the rain (light) had stopped. Nice. It had rained just enough to get all the coolant and oil residue up onto the surface and out of the cracks in the asphalt.

It was like driving on ice in some spots. I wish I had my video camera set up that day. Heeter lost it in front of me, and spun WAAAAYYY off track.

Its a real seat of the pants learning experience, driving in the wet. I stayed on track, but broke rear wheel traction a couple of times, and was able to correct it easily enough.

[Stu]

Last outing at CMP, it rained at 8am right before the first session. I ran my street tires and had to keep it in 4th gear pretty much the entire length of the track, a tad too much throttle in 3rd would swing the rearend out (which was fun in the corners that have a lot of run off !)

Glad you didn't do any serious damage, that's the most important thing

[JRKOUPE]

wet and not sticky

on some tracks..like Lime Rock, the wet line is a whole nother beast....and I usually sit it out, bitch and eat alot.........worn RA's get me no where there but in trouble. Pocono was ok w/ not many cement patches and treaded RA's......

[Propwash]

Unfortunatly, rain is the best time to wad your car up, or be destroyed while someone else wads theirs up. That said, rain racing is damn fun! I remember my first season in Formula Ford, we started a race in the wet on slicks because the track was supposed to dry out, well it never did because of a constant drizzle. We raced for over an hour on slicks before they called it! That was some WIDE EYE racing!

[e30 gangsta]

driving in the rain is my specialty. I used to go out to warehouse with some cones and drive all night. I love getting the ass out and keeping it there. Along with trying to reach the maximum speed around the turn without having the rear end come around. but you know me...

[Axxe]

driving in the rain is my specialty. I used to go out to warehouse with some cones and drive all night. I love getting the ass out and keeping it there. Along with trying to reach the maximum speed around the turn without having the rear end come around. but you know me...

Word, except I find an industrial park, and don't use cones haha. Rain is a good teacher, you can learn all the very subtle inputs needed to keep the car in control.