Racing in the Rain

As long as I'm not at Daytona, I'll race in the rain. Heck, we raced in the rain all last weekend and had a fookin blast.

 

I have always liked racing in the rain because I'm smooth. Of course most of my Rain experience was when we only had DOTs no rains were allowed in production classes a few years ago.

I also found that the better rain racers were people who did a lot of street riding in all kinds of conditions.

 

Had a streak of good finishes going in the rain, then biffed it at Daytona this Spring. No real damage, just a good reality check. If it needs to be done, and it seems reasonable to you, do it. But it's no place for the red mist of trophy greed. If the trophy comes, so be it. Be safe.

 

It was my 1st race weekend. I was nervous enough on Friday when it was nice. Dropped a valve in the first round of practice Friday. How you can be as slow as I am and still blow an engine is still a mystery to scientist everywhere not to mention how it added to the nervousness. Stay up all night swapping engines on the GSXR-600 (Say thank you Ebay & Alan Proffit). Get almost no sleep and wake up to cold rain. (Did I mention add to the nervousness?) But we had paid the money, we had busted our hump swapping engines, so I figured I needed to try. You know what it wasn't as bad as I thought, I even finished mid-pack all 3 races, WooWoo, (mid pack for me is like winning podium for you fast guys). The biggest problem for me was trying to see through the fogged up shield. All in all I had a ball my first weekend, and it was mostly due to all of the nice people that we met. Can't wait for Summit Point, I should be exceptionally average on dry pavement.

 

Re: Always

That's because you race a bike with inner-tubes which keep you and the bike 'on top of the water'!

Just kidding of course, Mr. Tech Inspector! If I ever get a job and back to the track, will a Corona w/lime help get that little sticker on my windshield? Puleeeze?

 

I just wish you folks could see the video I took at VIR on Sunday. Got Kcraget blasting down the fronstretch on the 125 through the puddles; that Shawn Stinnett dude who seemed to win every other race; and Conger checking out on the field. Oh, yeah, got Stinnett's wheelstand start.

Y'all going through the uphill esses on what looks like a mirror. Even got some footage from standing on the bridge shooting down until security was called on me. I wuz pretty embarrassed until I found out the only other person that the security got after last weekend was Mongo!

 

Re: Re: Always

It can't hurt

 

Sooner or later you have to get comfortable with your bike at the limits of traction. Rainy races allow you to experience the traction limit without as much speed so I feel like I benefit from it. Going fast requires good body position and throttle control which I also enjoy practicing. I'd say the only downside is wearing wet leathers. Besides, crashing in the rain is like hitting a Slip-n-Slide which just brings back fond memories of my youth.

 

I have.

 

Well, considering Saturday at VIR was my race school and the LW Twins on Sunday was my first race, ALL of my race experience is in the RAIN! I had slicks on Saturday for the school and managed to make it thru the mock race okay. Got rain tires for Sunday and wrecked on the last lap at turn one in the LW Twins!
Honestly, that was the first time I road in the rain period, other than getting my ass home as carefull as possible! All in all, I gotta say that I was impressed with the rain tires and until the low side on the last lap, I was shocked at how well you can actually go in the rain if you're smooth. Of course, I was going SLOW and must have not been very smooth on the last lap either! I didn't get to meet very many people, hopefully I can get around the paddock more next time!

Since this is one of my first posts, a little introduction. My name's Shane and I live in Columbus, OH. I'm a former marine Sgt. last stationed at Cherry Point, NC. I'll be at Summit next month, hope to meet a bunch of you then!

 

That must have been some Slip-n-Slide you had!
To remind me of my Slip-n-Slide, I would have had to place it in front of a wall of tires and been able to run at it over 100 mph.!

However, wet (and muddy) leathers do suck!

 

I don't mind racing in the rain, but I have a hard time finding the limit of traction. The times I have crashed in the rain, the bike didn't push or slide the rear, it just tucked the front so fast that you don't know what happened!

I did get to experience the mud slip-n-slide at the hogpen, couldn't believe how far I went (I took Keiths advice and didn't scratch the helmet )

Don

 

i love the rain it the great equalizer for the bikes that are down on horsepower. this might sound sick but i i actually ask for rain every weekend i race i just hate sitting in the pits though thats sucks maybe they can put sprinklers on the track

 

How about the exhaust cannister?

Rain + Me + Undisciplined Throttle Hand = Bodywork needing attention.

 

I had a good one at the GNF (National Endurance Race) this year. Came out of Turn 7 and got a little too aggressive which shot me straight up in the air. I was flying and thought maybe if I could find my hands with my eyes they'd still be in contact with the bike. I found my hands stretched straight out in front of me with a great view of my bike sliding down the track between them(the bike was actually 50 feet in front of me by then). I could see I was starting to lose altitude but I held my form which now resembled Superman. I landed it just like a Slip-n-Slide and slid forever! I was plenty wet but unhurt and my BB leathers even faired really well. I think that's the first crash I've actually enjoyed!

 

The can has a little spot on it, there is a small spot on the right side mid, and then the mud ripped upper into 5 peices, jammed up under the tank cover, busted the lower and flipped the bike !

 

I grew up in upstate NY and didn't own a car til I was 20 so rain has never been a problem. Got my only 2 wins my novice year in the rain. Been caught on slicks in the rain and still won. Been caught on rains and a drying track in a solo 20 and won. I love racing in the rain. One thing I don't like in the rain anymore is turn6/7 at RRR, where I'm headed tonight.


Hope it don't rain.

 

That's awesome so many of you will get out there in the rain. I was undecided, especially being a PN. But I did buy a spare set of rims and I think I'm going to put some rains on them. The way I look at it, there are only about 10 weekends the whole year to race, so you have to take advantage of every one possible.

 

Racing in the rain teaches you to be smooth. It gets you points that lead to championships. Those whose bikes suddenly develop mysterious mechanical problems when it rains at the track wont.

 

Been there, done that. It wasn't the rain that made that interesting, it was going down the down into it from a wet/raining but still easy to see back straight to the wet/raining and fog/mist filled Cavity during a 6 hour! Add to that little practice on a GSXR750 I was riding for the 1st time up from my 31hp ninja 250 I had at the time. Still, I had a blast & was sorry the 6 hour ended up being around a 2 hour after Team America blew yet another motor & oiled a wet track.