HPDE in the Rain?

I have a HPDE tomorrow and the forecast is now calling for Rain the entire day.

I dont mind spots of rain but the entire day will be annoying.

I have $335 spent on the registration so I am out of pocket that if I do not go.

If I do go I will spend another 410 on track insurance.

Thoughts?

You can learn a lot in the rain, so I say go for it. The very first HPDE I did was in the rain (drying towards the afternoon). And I learned a lot about car control.

Not saying you have any more to learn, but I'd say you just have to be more careful out there and cannot push the car as hard. You will have to be very easy on throttle application etc. You obviously won't be setting any track records or anything.

Go have fun! Be safe

c_reber said:

You can learn a lot in the rain, so I say go for it. The very first HPDE I did was in the rain (drying towards the afternoon). And I learned a lot about car control.

Not saying you have any more to learn, but I'd say you just have to be more careful out there and cannot push the car as hard. You will have to be very easy on throttle application etc. You obviously won't be setting any track records or anything.

Go have fun! Be safe

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Based on the forecast there will be no drying out :(

We had a saying that the only thing dumber that racing in the rain was practicing in the rain, but unless you are running slicks, go out and have some fun, albeit at a slower pace. You paid the money you might as well make the best of it.

BTW, we also would wait until the last possible day watching the forecast before registering.

The very first time I took the Mustang to track it was raining all day and they didn't want to cancel the event. Drove pretty slow and learned a good amount about the car, like having to feather the throttle coming out of the corner so you don't end up in a tire wall

firestarter2 said:

I have a HPDE tomorrow and the forecast is now calling for Rain the entire day.

I dont mind spots of rain but the entire day will be annoying.

I have $335 spent on the registration so I am out of pocket that if I do not go.

If I do go I will spend another 410 on track insurance.

Thoughts?

Click to expand...

What track is it at?

Dave

NJMP Lightning a friend said Monday there was standing water in the track

Hopefully you're on good rubber. If you're still on the GT350's stock PSC2, it sounds like they're decent in the wet, but may not like too much standing water. I had a wet session this past Monday and can confirm the reviews that the P Zeros are terrible in the wet:

[ame]

rob_s said:

Hopefully you're on good rubber. If you're still on the GT350's stock PSC2, it sounds like they're decent in the wet, but may not like too much standing water. I had a wet session this past Monday and can confirm the reviews that the P Zeros are terrible in the wet:

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Im on Hankook RS3.
Was it worth your time? I do not want to throw good money after bad.

Separates the men from the boys. I have done it, I am a man.

rob_s said:

Hopefully you're on good rubber. If you're still on the GT350's stock PSC2, it sounds like they're decent in the wet, but may not like too much standing water. I had a wet session this past Monday and can confirm the reviews that the P Zeros are terrible in the wet:

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What was your drive mode settings ? Rain mode ;) , TC on ? or off

firestarter2 said:

Im on Hankook RS3.
Was it worth your time? I do not want to throw good money after bad.

Click to expand...

I'd at least show up and try it. It's not like you're getting a refund if you don't go. I definitely got my money's worth because it was damp on the first run when I was learning the track, dry for the next 3 runs, and didn't rain until the 5th run. But the first few laps in the wet actually weren't bad since the track wasn't lost yet. It was only once standing water developed that things got bad and the tires gave up. So if you only have light rain and a damp track, you can probably get a good day out of it.

ANGST said:

What was your drive mode settings ? Rain mode ;) , TC on ? or off

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I have the base GT, so no modes, but I did have TC on.

rob_s said:

I'd at least show up and try it. It's not like you're getting a refund if you don't go. I definitely got my money's worth because it was damp on the first run when I was learning the track, dry for the next 3 runs, and didn't rain until the 5th run. But the first few laps in the wet actually weren't bad since the track wasn't lost yet. It was only once standing water developed that things got bad and the tires gave up. So if you only have light rain and a damp track, you can probably get a good day out of it.



I have the base GT, so no modes, but I did have TC on.

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Ill check the weather and decide. so far it looks like it will very wet all day.

firestarter2 said:

NJMP Lightning a friend said Monday there was standing water in the track

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Chances are there won't be very much traffic out there. And you can easily be 20 seconds a lap slower than you've done it in the dry. If not even slower. Keep the revs down, upshift early (maybe very early) just to hold rear wheel torque down somewhere below a dull roar.

There will be water streaming across the track in at least two places I can recall offhand (just after T7 and on the uphill coming out of T9), and if it's been heavy enough the short straight between T4 and T5 will have a stream about where you might want your left-side tires.

But it's a tremendous opportunity to learn something about the wet line - something that returns usefulness back to your daily driving. Be gentle with your control inputs, especially with the throttle, discipline being your friend

Here's what Lightning looks like in heavy rain, and watch the Corvette for tailhappiness coming out of T5 (at least once) and more than a little loose going toward T5 a little later. MPSS tires at nearly full tread depth, camera shake on the last lap occurs at a little above 110 mph, there was too much spray in the earlier laps for me to even think about trying to push it that hard before then.





Expect to have to 'catch' it, and don't be caught out by the second spin (in the opposite direction after you think you've caught the initial one). Lightning again, different rainy day. That stream you see in the video thumbnail is the stream on the exit from T7. I was in 3rd gear at the time, and I only have a 4.6L, and the entire big-yaw-left/catch/small-yaw-right/catch/continue sequence takes barely more than a second.




Norm

rob_s said:

I have the base GT, so no modes, but I did have TC on.

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You have on, tc off (one press), sport mode (2 quick presses) and all off (long hold).

firestarter2 said:

Ill check the weather and decide. so far it looks like it will very wet all day.

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Do it.