Looks like it will be raining for this weekends events in Hershey PA.

Any of you (more) experienced guys have any pointers.

Leave DSC on ? ( i assume it'll help to go faster )

Lower or higher tire pressure???

Should be interesting. - At least it'll level the playing fied w/ the guys who run slicks. ... Mann I'll be shocked if I can run as fast as Tim!

Thanks in advance - Chris

 

Based on my experience autocrossing in the rain...stay home, stay dry and watch TV...

Seriously, I would leave the DSC off, as it gives you more options in terms of where and how you place the car. Of course, you do have to have some discipline with your right foot!

Tire pressures I'm not sure, as I don't know what tires you are running. On a treaded tire, some like more pressure to open the tread blocks more, but others swear by less pressure, to "soften" the contact patch...ymmv. If you have adjustable shocks or sway bar, you'll want to soften the settings a bunch...what a "bunch" is will vary, according to your set up and how you drive.

I think the important thing is to not overdrive the car, be as smooth as possible with inputs and try to keep the car right on the tire's traction limit, without exceeding and causing massive slip angle and time to recover.

 

A painfully obvious hint is to drive around the puddles as much as possible. It's amazing how many people will drive through a deep puddle that is on the correct dry line when they could of easily avoided it.

 

tyre pressure should remain. keep dsc off. you should be fine.

i got third ttod at the last event that it rained. second being a z06, first being my buddy with an ms6.

like mwood said, be smooth.

 

Dont,

Find another autox on a close date. Theer is always the possibility of losing course time. The negatives outwiegh the positives by alot.

If you decide to still run

Run the car on seperate runs with and with out TC.

 

Drive smoother and feel what the car is telling you. Move slower with your inputs to the car. I.E gas, stearing, and throdle. It comes to that old saying. go slow to drive fast.

 

Using DSC is going to depend a lot on what kind of tires you're using and just how hard it is raining.

We've run events in heavy rain with lots of standing water and found the car to be faster with the DSC on. We've backed this up with data acquisition. The differential braking that the DSC system employs to "guide" the car in the intended direction really makes a difference when there is minimal grip and a lot of potential for hydroplaning.

Conversely, we've run significantly faster with the DSC off in light rain/minimal standing water situations. If the ground is just damp and not flooded, you'll go faster with the DSC off.

One thing to keep in mind regardless is to be smooth with your control inputs. In a low grip situation, trying to manhandle the car doesn't work. You'll just end up sliding everywhere.

Oh, and don't stay home if you want to learn to be a better driver. Nothing will teach you how to be smooth and carry momentum like racing in the rain.

 

+1

Be careful, and learn as much as you can.

 

How about this.
Forget about winning and loosing.
Go to the field and turn DSC off kick the back end out and start having fun

About DSC, how can one possibly learn about car control if you have DSC on?

 

go for the tokyo drift

 

True.

I never leave the DSC on. The PCM just kick in and the RX8 is in limp mode.

Then you can't drive.

 

I usually do very well in the rain. As stated above you learn tons of car control when going fast in the wet.
If you get good at driving the car on the edge in the wet the same skills can be applied to keep the car on the higher edge in the dry.

So go fast and never turn down a chance to AX in the rain.