Tracking in the Rain...with RS3s?

[persian54]

I'm registered to go to Button willow tomorrow...but the weather forecast went from 20% rain to 100% rain! and a high of 57 degrees


So....should I ask for a refund...or suck it up and go? I drove with the RS3s in the rain on the street the other week and it wasn't scary...but I didn't feel too confident lol

Not sure what to do... I've promised many people I would go... and I haven't racked in 2 months! been in withdrawals...but that's not that big of a deal cause I should be going to Big Willow next Sat with Speed District and possibly also Streets of Willow the Sunday after...


RS3s...Safe to track in the rain........?

I know AD08s would be fine, or PSS, or PS2s...but...RS3s....?

RS3s have about 1500 miles...so I would say pretty decent thread left.

[persian54]

Or should I take the Z4 that has the stock Bridgestone Runflats?

I think they come with these?
Potenza RE050A. Should be the same as the 335i tires...

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....Potenza+RE050A

Wet traction is only 7.5

RS3s have a 7.0
http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires....tnum=25WR6Z222

[arter]

We can run RS3's in the rain. Yes they are not as good as the other tires you mentioned, but they won't melt.

Remember, smooth motions, don't try to cut quickly. Start slower than normal and work up in speed until you feel your new limit. A very good training experience.

I have gotten stuck in a surprise rain storm with slicks on, just slow down, make later apexes than normal, and run a wider track around the turns.

The worse thing about rain is that the inside of your car gets all wet as you have to drive with your window down. Think I had a half of inch of water in my backseat once...

[persian54]

Originally Posted by arter

The worse thing about rain is that the inside of your car gets all wet as you have to drive with your window down. Think I had a half of inch of water in my backseat once...

Yeah this part is a real pain......

maybe i should have the dealer give me some of those seat cover things lol

[arter]

Oh, and stay off the concrete strips in turns if they have those out there ( concrete is very slippery when wet........)

The "other" car

[persian54]

Originally Posted by arter

Oh, and stay off the concrete strips in turns if they have those out there ( wet concrete is very slippery when wet........)

The "other" car

We used to have a SLK, nice car :P


Yeah they have them... all over the place lol

[Shosholoza]

Run with the tires you have:
* think SMOOTH, gentle inputs, watch the road surface
* build speed slowly, find your limits - this is a fantastic chance to learn car control at slower speeds
*test running with DCT off once you are comfortable - you will slide earlier and slower than in the dry
*stay off the painted rumble strips
* with practice you will be amazed at what speeds you can do in the wet

[bigjae1976]

I learned the most during my weekend in the rain. I was forced to be smooth and look ahead.

But...I will stick with the Dunlop z1s...a much better overall tire. The only thing the RS3 has on the Z1s is dry grip and wear. The z1s didnt wear all that bad either.

[persian54]

I hope I can keep the windows closed....

[M3SQRD]

Originally Posted by persian54

I hope I can keep the windows closed....

Not sure how they run things out west but here on the east coast you must run with your driver's side window down even in the rain.

[von_zoom]

I have run in the rain many times using Mich. PS2s, and they do reasonably well, both with my 525 and E92. Agree, dial it back a bit, and be as smooth as you can, just as you (I hope) do on the street when it is wet.
vz

[JAJ]

Originally Posted by persian54

I hope I can keep the windows closed....

Hah! That reminds me of one of the worst aspects of the M3 at a wet race track: when you drive fast in the rain, water collects in a puddle on the roof. When you brake for a turn, the puddle shoots forward and rolls off the forward side of the roof and gets blown directly into the open driver's window. I don't think I've ever done more than five laps in the rain without either giving up or closing my window.

Wet handling is good on the M3. I run my NT-01's in the rain. They're not as good as PS2's, but they're suprisingly good for tires with virtually no tread.

[Shosholoza]

If you have to keep your window open in the rain, duct tape a folded up cloth over the switches in the driver's armrest. Otherwise you will get the aforementioned streams of water directly onto the switches. They then sot working...
That is why I have one window open in the pic.
The pice of clothe works fine, because the water doesn't flow

[arter]

Humm, never thought about the switches getting wet. Might try the piece of duct tape suggestion ( you can fix anything with duct tape).

Usually was more concerned with how wet my left leg was going to get.....

[persian54]

Originally Posted by von_zoom

I have run in the rain many times using Mich. PS2s, and they do reasonably well, both with my 525 and E92. Agree, dial it back a bit, and be as smooth as you can, just as you (I hope) do on the street when it is wet.
vz

Attachment 610441

On the street, when it rains, I tend to not drive lol....

Or I drive pretty conservatively

You were allowed to keep the windows closed if the value of your car exceeded a certain $ amount...I forgot what it was... either way, my car's MSRP is 84k..add tax...and 10-15k (forgot) in mods...I think I qualified so I kept them closedddd


I had fun. I kept going sideways...at first I kept traction on..big mistake. I almost went off cause I tried to correct it and had to fight the traction (I have never tracked with full traction on before so I wasn't prepared).

I turned traction off a little to have fun..then I got black flagged so then I kept MDM on

RS3s were really slippery, but they were fun

I had a time of 2:26 at Button 13CW. I never did a timed fully dry session in my car at 13CW Button so I can't compare
It was the fastest time until the Super Advance guys went out on a dry (well drier) track and killed it with 2:07 being the overall best time of the day

The slowest in Super Advance was 2:24 I think? Not sure, I don't remember exactly as I left early. I only did 3 sessions, 1 in pouring rain, one with drizzle but less rain, and one with no rain but a wet track (so many puddles everywhere!)

My line is based on a dry track..so it was hard staying off the concrete stripes and avoiding all the puddles by the apexes.

I took a friend out and she had a blast. She was the best passenger I ever had... quite, didn't scream, bug me, say stuff like "cool! wow!" etc. She knew not to distract me haha

[von_zoom]

Happy to hear you had a sucessful time on the track, and got to play in the water. Assume your car returned home, shinny under the dirt.
vz

[persian54]

Originally Posted by von_zoom

Happy to hear you had a sucessful time on the track, and got to play in the water. Assume your car returned home, shinny under the dirt.
vz

actually, the car itself is clean...except around the side skirts from the dirt being thrown up from the wheels, and the rear bumper

the rest of the is surprisingly very clean.

[von_zoom]

The operable word is "returned" home!

[persian54]

Originally Posted by von_zoom

The operable word is "returned" home!

[Gearhead999s]

Originally Posted by dbarnes

Not sure how they run things out west but here on the east coast you must run with your driver's side window down even in the rain.

Out here it depends on the group that you are running with.The real problem with running in the rain when you have an off & go through the mud which usually makes its way insideNow that is a pain to get clean

I do love lapping in the rain as I do not know any better

[M3SQRD]

Originally Posted by Gearhead999s

Out here it depends on the group that you are running with.The real problem with running in the rain when you have an off & go through the mud which usually makes its way insideNow that is a pain to get clean

I do love lapping in the rain as I do not know any better

Oh, I know exactly what you are talking about...once a guy had an off in front of me, went thru a giant puddle, and I got the worst of it! If it's my own fault I can deal with it but when someone else does it for you it sucks

I also enjoy lapping in the rain

[Gearhead999s]

Originally Posted by dbarnes

Oh, I know exactly what you are talking about...once a guy had an off in front of me, went thru a giant puddle, and I got the worst of it! If it's my own fault I can deal with it but when someone else does it for you it sucks

I also enjoy lapping in the rain

Much worse on a bike