Wet Track days...love em or hate em?

[T0MMY]

Enjoy wet and dry equally in most cars but in the MX5 I prefer wet ones as it's too soft on the standard suspension to be quick in the dry.

This was Bedford Autodrome which is incredibly slippery in parts...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22yj2rd7_24

On the bike it has to be dry though but only because I don't have wets to put on it

[GokTweed]

Wet tracks are good for practicing car control and kinder on the tyres while you're doing it. Don't prefer one to the other really

[Porkie]

I love mixed days. Start dry... downpour at lunchtime for some fun and dry line appearing for few hours in afternoon!

(apart from the Ring. I only like dry days there TBH)

[lear]

Depends on car for me. Wet can be fun in something light and unassisted but I found the last one I did in my xkr at snett the week before Christmas frustrating to the point I just gave up. ABS hammering away going into every corner and traction control chomping off any power coming out. Felt very big, heavy and out of control. Have much more fun in the wet in my track TVR - but that doesn't have a nice heated steering wheel...

[Effortless]

Much prefer wet!!

I feel safer as everything is slower, and it's so much kinder on chassis brakes and tyres. This is always important for me as I'm permanently skint, and I have to do track days in my work car... which is also my means to earn a living!!



Cheers,
Effortless.

[GTiFrank]

Agreed with the above



... just wetter

[mmm-five]

Love them, but I also love dry days too!

[mikearwas]

mmm-five said:

Love them, but I also love dry days too!

If that's the Nurburgring you are a nutter! That's one track I don't think I'd like to drive in the wet in my own car unless I had very comprehensive insurance.

[mmm-five]

mikearwas said:

If that's the Nurburgring you are a nutter! That's one track I don't think I'd like to drive in the wet in my own car unless I had very comprehensive insurance.

It's fine when it's properly wet, and has been wet for a while as the 'greasiness' reduces.

I wouldn't recommend the first wet hour in the evening after a weekend of dry VLN though - or when it can't decide between wet/dry/damp. Nor would I recommend straying onto the leaves at the side of the track when trying to overtake a numpty 'off line'!

[MH82]

Llandow has loads of grip in the rain, Castle Combe has no real grip whatsoever and it ends up being a parade lap and I would argue that there is more grip on the public highways.

So Castle Combe hate, Llandow love!

[TheInternet]

Effortless said:

Much prefer wet!! I feel safer as everything is slower, and it's so much kinder on chassis brakes and tyres.

Whereas the total lack of grip on wet grass makes me feel far less safe, at least you have some control running off track in the dry.

[mikearwas]

mmm-five said:

It's fine when it's properly wet, and has been wet for a while as the 'greasiness' reduces.

I wouldn't recommend the first wet hour in the evening after a weekend of dry VLN though - or when it can't decide between wet/dry/damp. Nor would I recommend straying onto the leaves at the side of the track when trying to overtake a numpty 'off line'!

Yes, I've heard that to be the case. I've thought about doing the ring but have visions of this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=demm-CUgJHY

Not even sure what the poor chap did wrong there (apart from not getting the lock on quick enough).

[mmm-five]

mikearwas said:

Not even sure what the poor chap did wrong there (apart from not getting the lock on quick enough).

Simple - he pressed the loud pedal before the car was straight, and possibly whilst the rear wheel was riding the kerb a little (which is a no-no in the damp).

I get 1st party insurance for the 'Ring to mitigate any damage I do to my own car, but I'm always aware that it doesn't cover anything else including armco, track closure, 3rd party car damage, etc.

I wish I could get proper insurance for tourist days, and I'm not going to limit myself the one or two closed trackdays as I like to be free to do an hour or so a day, as I please over a 4/5 day weekend trip.

The benefit of my pick & choose method is that I can rock up at the gate at 7:55am and be the only one on the track at 8:00am (if they open it on time of course). Then I can have an hour of really quiet lapping, finding out where the slippy places are, and then breeze past 'faster' cars that are still learning an hour later ;-)

Then I bugger off somewhere for a few hours, come back and repeat if it's quiet enough, and finally do the same near the end of the day.

I still manage 50 laps or so over the weekend (and about 10 tanks of fuel - from the Aral in Adenau though as there's rarely a queue, and it's cheaper than Ed's).

Edited by mmm-five on Saturday 5th January 16:27

[mikearwas]

mmm-five said:

Simple - he pressed the loud pedal before the car was straight, and possibly whilst the rear wheel was riding the kerb a little (which is a no-no in the damp).

Ah fair enough. I didn't see the curb.

[MocMocaMoc]

Everything is more fun wet.

(except electricity)

[mmm-five]

MocMocaMoc said:

...(except electricity)

Depends what your definition of 'fun' is surely!

[ukkid35]

I prefer dry, even though it's much harder on the car. I'll do wet as well, although I'll avoid the Ring in the wet, as you learn a lot. But the real no no is a dry morning followed by a lunchtime downpour (on concrete) - as anyone who was at the demolition derby aka Help For Heroes at Bovington 2009 will tell you.

[sbridgey]

If anyone fancies what will most likely be a wet track day at Llandow, look here it will be a very well run day with plenty of free tuition on hand.

http://www.cliosport.net/forum/showthread.php?6708...

[TITWONK]

I did a wet morning at donnington last year and it was quite fun, however it dried out by the afternoon and the difference was massive! It was excellent being able to drive the track in both conditions on the same day I felt I learnt something in the wet!

[shim]

I think with me 3 things make a difference.

1. Bhp
2. Balance/set up
3. Tyres

I did Donny back on 15-16 Deember on two damp and slippy days. No standing water but never dried not even for a minute.

On day one I had a 120bhp race mx5 on road tyres and ARBs off and soft suspension and it was the best fun.

On day two I was back in my M3 CSL on Cups and whilst it was enjoyable, the bhp and extra sloppiness of the tyres did make it considerably less satisfying and after a big spin at Starkeys I soon lost the will to push very hard at all.