Racing in the rain

[Alejandro]

how many of you practice in the rain?

our team has been there three years in a row and it has always rained.. Last year just the autocross event.. but still I think its very important to practice on wet surface..For example: I dont know what the driver of ohio state smoked but he was really fast..

[Denny Trimble]

Yes, we test in the rain. Sometimes it's hard not to http://fsae.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

[Kirk Feldkamp]

Rain? In Seattle?! News to me...

Turns out that is a bonus for you guys... it doesn't rain all that much down here. We have to get "lucky" to work on our rain setup.

-Kirk

[Matt N]

Ya, it feels real "lucky" to be driving when its 37 degrees out and raining ... Nothing like fogged visors and roostertails coming in your helmet ...

Matt

[alfordda]

We test in the rain also. In fact our rain tires got more use last year than the slicks, at least until we went to the Texas Autocross Weekend.

[Buckingham]

Last late April we got a nice snow/rain mix. Rain is easier to see through than snow.

[BStoney]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by alfordda:
We test in the rain also. In fact our rain tires got more use last year than the slicks, at least until we went to the Texas Autocross Weekend. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

In fact, I distinctly remember you being up to your knees in a flood at Edgewater Dan. And Justin running a motorcycle up to his waist or something of that nature. Needless to say, the car wasn't running then....

[RagingGrandpa]

If it weren't for rain we wouldn't get to use our special bodywork! You know... the one that qualifies us for the 'Creative Use of Polymers' award...

http://www-personal.engin.umich.edu/~lovelljc/Wet%20FSAE.JPG
*ahem*trashbag*s'cuseme*

[MH]

Testing in the rain. No wet tyres though.
http://www.delphia.nl/pieter/aken/images/IMG_4755.JPG

[Alejandro]

we have practiced in rain with slick tires too. didnt like it at all..

last year we ran autocross with medium rain tires (good year). we were the 5th or 6th team on the line after the storm passed. And it was like racing with slicks..

Have you compared hoosier and goodyear rain tires? we havent.. but this year I think we are using good year..

[drivetrainUW-Platt]

you guys should get that STI out there racing too!

[-]

We did some testing in the "rain" before competition last year. The rain consisted of two hoses from a near by building and a water tank from one of the guys pickup trucks.

Needless to say I can feel for the other teams who say that its hard to test in the rain.

[Joel Miller]

I fully recommend driver training in the wet. It slows everything down and gives a learning driver time to concentrate on technique, such as easing off the brakes when during steering input on corner entry, or balancing the the throttle on corner exit. The slow pace of everything gives you time to monitor your inputs and the vehicle performance, while comparing this to your theoretical knowledge of traction circles etc.

Personally, I was a pretty shabby driver until we had a (rare) rainstorm during practice. Nobody else wanted to go out in the conditions, so I took the plunge. A very worthwhile experience, definitely the most productive 10 or so minutes I've had behind the wheel, full of moments of revealation. I recommend it, especially for new drivers.

[Wayne Gross]

It seemed as though every weekend we went testing last spring it would start raining. This really benefited us once we got to competition and we had to run in the rain. Thanks Alejandro, Casey did knock down some good laptimes for running in the rain.

[Marshall Grice]

yeah rain testing can be a bit of a problem for us as well. We've figured out a close substitute though...The "rain" (http://www.csupomona.edu/~fsae/photos/2004/Testing/pages/DSC00487.htm)

[Andy Pate]

I wouldnt reccomend any hard running in the rain unless absoloutly neccessary.
We took our car out in the rain last year for a display at on a army parade ground, ended up burning a gallon of fuel in ten minutes and destroying the clutch in the process even with wets on!
It was the most fun ive had in our FS car though!

Andy

[Alejandro]

the gallon here cost us less than a quarter. so that wont be a problem..

I think racing in the rain is absolutley necessary..You dont wanna end up aqua planing for the first time in the competition beacuse of lack of confidence with your car....at least for formula student and sae.

how ve been the weather in aus this last years.?

[drivetrainUW-Platt]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Alejandro:
the gallon here cost us less than a quarter. so that wont be a problem..

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

a quarter....holy crap!

[gug]

hehe, mistubishi's taliem test track has one of those sprinkler type systems for simulating rain.

of course, i would feel much better gloating about it if our team actually got enough testing time to use it last year. hopefully this years team should be finished early enough to make use.

[Andy Pate]

<STRIKE>the gallon here cost us less than a quarter. so that wont be a problem.. </STRIKE>

..wow, thats nuts! youre in for a shock if you visit the UK LOL

Ansy