jons355

First regional SRF race this weekend. Looks like rain for the race and possibly for the qualifying sessions on Saturday. What is the best product to use for fogging problems on my helmet visor?

Also need some rough advice on how drastic a change most of you use on the brake bias with rain (John/TSR, Mark D. where are you???). Any other setup issues I need to adress depending on rain conditions?

Lastly, if it looks like rain on both qualifying sessions should I spend one of them finding out where the grip is on the track or will conditions be different on Sunday for the race even if it is still raining then? In other words will the rain line change between Saturday and Sunday even if the weather is the same (sorry if this sounds like a dumb question).

What other gear besides tear off's do I need to take along that one wouldn't take in good weather

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Regards,

Jon

NASA racer

Works fairly well but not perfectly.

Also, try to keep your feet dry...I've used plastic bags rubber-banded to keep my shoes dry until getting in the car...and make sure there's some way for the water to get OUT of your cockpit. Don't just drill holes, that'll let water in, think about some sort of drain that runs from front to back. Nothing worse than your feet slipping all over the pedals.

The line can change lap to lap...you need to feel where the car is best and watch what the other folks do...typically the guys up front will find the rain line pretty fast. Puddles are your worst enemy...avoid puddles at ALL cost.

You have to be flexible in the wet to simply keep the car on the track...racing in the rain can be a nightmare so just concentrate on not losing it and let the "race" sort itself out.

John/TSR

Forget the tear-offs if it's raining - they're the worst thing you could use. Water gets between the layers and you end up looking thru a kaleidoscope.

Get a "Fog City" visor insert for your visor, or get hold of a Fog City "Fog Thing" (that's actually what it's called !). Make sure you start with a new (or your newest) clear visor, so you don't have lots of little pit marks to catch water, and Rain-X the **** out of the outside of the shield. Don't get Rain-X anywhere near the inside - stick the Fog City shield insert in there, or give it a good wipedown with the "Fog Thing". If you think you're going to have issues with mud and goo (and at a MARRS Regional you always have issues with mud and goo...), stick a clean hand towel underneath one of your shoulder straps to you can do the big wipe on the front straight. Hint: I have a shield that I ONLY use for rain.

Bring a large golf umbrella to the grid, as it will keep you completely dry in the cockpit of an SRF. Remember to ditch it before you roll, as it will affect your straight line speed. If you don't have the Butler seat, you'll need a towel to dry out the fibreglass seat so you don't get an immediate wet *** when you climb in the car.

Find a groaty set of race gloves that have palms and finger surfaces that are very rough, as those brand new soft smooth Sparco's/Simpsons etc. can be kind of slippery when it's wet.

Now would be a good time to check as to whether your "rain light" actually works, rather than after you get harpooned at the end of the front straight by somebody who couldn't see thru the "Cumulo-Racecar" cloud of a pack of SRF's.

Hint: The guys who haven't chopped the tail valance of their rear bodywork throw off a lot less spray - find one of those guys who is fast and line up for qualifying behind them.

Brake Bias: Give it anywhere from two clicks to a full turn to the REAR, if it's wet.

Chassis: Drop both the front and rear bars completely, and crank the shocks to "soft". If you've got Penske's, you got it easy - take'em 5-10 flats off whatever your dry setting is. If you've still got the Koni's, you gotta decide how much work you want to do between sessions.

Tires: Add 2-6 lbs. to your normal cold starting pressures. I ran the Yoko A021 rains (I'm assuming you DO have a set of the Yok rains) in the wet at Summit one test day last year, and raced on them in a monsoon at Sebring in January - they seem to like being blown up hard.

Hint: If you know how to aggressively left-foot brake, but haven't experimented in the SRF, now is the time to learn. That middle pedal can do amazing things for your exit speeds and lines if you're doing the "happy feet" dance all the way thru the corners (just think "ice racing").

If you think you'll only have one wet session on Sat. and Sun is still a crap shoot, use the wet session to go exploring for grip. The whole "rain line" concept as taught by many schools is complete bull****. Traction is where you find it, and if you think you're doing yourself any real service by running rimshots around all the corners, you're kidding yourself. Don't give up escape margin and racing room, and find out where the "stick" is on the track in the wet. Go exploring. You never get to run the line when you're racing, as there is usually some jerk there and you have to figure out how to get around them - if you've already mapped it out, you have an advantage. At Summit, the concrete is death in the wet. Beware the littel rivers between T1 & T3, in the Chute and from T7 up 'til past the bridge...

Remember: Most people are scared ****less in the rain. Add to their fear. Be confident, go fast, drive bold, make'em think you're nuts.

I love racing in the rain. I'd pay extra to race in the rain.

jyoteen

avoid shiny spots and look for the matte surface areas. I know it sounds basic, but that's what I heard, in a nutshell.

LCP

"Remember to ditch [the umbrella] before you roll, as it will affect your straight line speed" - LOL

Mark Dalen

I drop the rear bar for the rain, re-direct the front brake ducts away from the rotors and go 2 turns rear on brake bias. My front bar is always full soft, so I do not change it, nor do I change my shocks.

Line depends on track - both surface and puddles. Generally stay off the shiny stuff - it is slick. Test any concrete patches. Some concrete gives you better grip. Others are like ice (Mid-Ohio). At Grattan, the rain line is almost the same as dry, at Mid-Ohio it is a completely different line. If the track is also a drag strip be VERY careful. The stuff they use for traction (VHT I think) is like ice when wet.

If conditions are changing and you are not sure which tires to run, mount 2 rains and 2 drys before the session. That way you will only have to change 2 tires at the last minute.

You will get VERY wet, so bring lots of extras - socks, gloves, shoes if you have them. It is pretty exciting in a pack, all you see is spray and rain lights. You just hope the car you are following is aimed for the paved parts.

Have fun, be steady and remember your objective is to finish.

jons355

Thanks everyone for the advice!!!! Will post results next week!!

Warren Wang

Ah yes, your very first race. I remember it like it was last weekend. Oh wait...

What a buzz. I am still on a sugar high from last weekend, despite the black flag confusion, the broken parts, and the crappy finish.

Finish the race, and try not to drive angry or timid. Somewhere in between is good

I'll try to make it out for Sunday. No promises as there is a big software deployment this weekend, but I just might show up and heckle you.

Warren

NASA racer

<center><img src="http://www.peterfowler.com/tw08.JPG"></center><p>trying to keep your head above water. There's Jyoteen on the extinguisher wondering why on earth he offered to help out that day hehehehe.

What the HELL we were thinking not having a proper set of rain tires is beyond me...a mistake we don't plan on repeating!

Bryce

You scare me John.. You'd pay extra?