Wet weather driving

[Gerry H]

28th Feb 07 springs to mind when BP descended on a wet Snetterton. Almost everyone had a spin on that morning (afternoon saw a dry track).

That's the only time I've been to a wet Snett although I've done Silverstone a couple of times in the rain, and a torrential Stowe circuit sprint. Biggest problem is greasey patches and standing water which dictate the lines once you've learned where to avoid. The other points that influence lines and speed in and out is runoff, if it does get loose, what's the escape route? Wet grass, and the distant armco or trees come up very quickly even on the 'safest' of tracks or airfields.

[pablo]

The one aspect of wet track driving that is generally over looked is tyre choice. We have until recenrly had a set of wet tyres that just sat in my shed until the RS National day at Rockingham last August.

We were able brake much later and harder coming off the banked straight for the hairpin and were also able to corner at higher speeds. The lines that you take through certain corners will vary from track to track as to where the grip is in the wet. For example Donnington in the wet has very little grip anywhere except for the chicane onto the pit straight.

Another factor to consider is the set up and general handling of your car. We added rear downforce for the wet track. Even though our car has a tendancy to understeer this was done to help control the back end if we needed to force it out to counteract the understeer and also to stop it drifting out on the high speed banked bend. This worked to great effect allowing us to carry far more speed through the bend.

Sierra xr4x4 tendancy to understeer
Saph cossie tendancy to oversteer
Yet both cars have the same front to rear power split.

[Pike]

Racing with the 750 Motor Club apparently doesn't require driving in the wet anymore.

Smooth, steady and progressive. Gentle brakes, gentle steering and bundles of apathy.
Don't be afraid to let the car move about under you a bit.

I was quite happy letting the car drift on the exit of copse last year then Richard Marsh dumped his oil in front of me and I performed an eloquent 360 without losing position.

If anyone says they like racing in the wet they are lying. Some drivers dislike it less than others.

[alwayzsidewayz]

I do feel that I could have got more out of the car with different tyres, the point raised about traction was a good one, even with a modest power output I was suffering wheel spin in the exit of the slower corners, which in the dry simply does not happen.

I also think I was trying to hard to correct each movement of the car, which I am sure cost me time.

Also being a single lap sprint, you cannot get any real heat into the tyres, which caught me out big time for my 360.

I suppose a lot of comes down to being smooth and consistant.