R-Comps when it's calling for rain?

[Bondfire]

So I'm looking to use R-Comps in an upcoming AutoX weekend, and I'm wondering what people do if it's calling for rain. Right now it's only a 30% chance, but what do you usually do if it start to rain right before you run? Do you just do the whole day on street tires? Risk it and go with the r-comps and hope it doesn't rain too hard? And if it does, do you just take it slow and have a terrible time? Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are.

[echan]

So I'm looking to use R-Comps in an upcoming AutoX weekend, and I'm wondering what people do if it's calling for rain. Right now it's only a 30% chance, but what do you usually do if it start to rain right before you run? Do you just do the whole day on street tires? Risk it and go with the r-comps and hope it doesn't rain too hard? And if it does, do you just take it slow and have a terrible time? Just wondering what everyone's thoughts are.

Driving on r-compounds in the rain is terrible and very slow driving (like 30 mph or less). If it is only a passing shower, you might be better to wait for the rain to end. If the rain is going to last for a long time, I would drive on street tires (change tires at the event, which doesn't help if you don't have a tire trailer or someone with another car to carry the tires).

[03threefiftyz]

What R-comps? As long as there is no standing water, A6's are fine.

[Bondfire]

I'm gonna be on D6's, so I guess as long as there isn't standing water I should be ok.

[Bondfire]

I'm gonna be on D6's, so I guess as long as there isn't standing water I should be ok.

And by D6 I actually mean R6...

[03threefiftyz]

WTF are D6's? You mean R6's?

[Nathan Atkins]

D6's must be the diesel version of R6's

[v10climber]

I was searching the internetz but couldn't find what I was looking for. I believe in the lastest version of GRM they did a comparison between the Hoosier Rain tires, Hoosier A6s and a street tire (z2s maybe?). Anyways the Hoosiers had a large change in time between wet and dry. Like 10 seconds. The hoosier wets were pretty consistent both wet and dry. And the street tires were a little slower in the wet and got a little faster in the dry. Maybe a delta of 2 seconds or so. The A6s were like 5-6 seconds slower than the H2Os in the wet.

The biggest thing with the R6s would be to avoid standing water at all costs. As long as you're not running through puddles the wet track isn't a huge deal. Just have to be careful.

Most people swap back to street tires if rain is likely and if you don't have time then just deal with it. It should only take you like 20-25 minutes to swap tires though. If you had help it would be quicker. Provided your help isn't just getting in the way.

[LaurenceC]

It should only take you like 20-25 minutes to swap tires though. If you had help it would be quicker. Provided your help isn't just getting in the way.

Should take 10 minutes to swap tires, unless you get in your own way

[v10climber]

Should take 10 minutes to swap tires, unless you get in your own way

Lies. I'm gonna time you this weekend. And you have to start with the race tires still on the trailer and all your tools away.

It takes me about 20 minutes from starting to jack the car up and grabbing the other wheels out of the garage to finishing torquing the wheels and putting the other wheels back in the garage. 10 minutes would be fairly easy if you already have the tools out and the tires next to the car.

[LaurenceC]

You said 20-25 to swap tires. Not all this other stuff.

[DriftSS]

I used to love running in the rain and don't recall EVER being faster on street tires than on R-Comps in the rain. In fact I've run r-comps in both the snow and during a sleet storm at Summit and ran both sessions on Shenandoah without putting a wheel off track. Even in heavy rain good r-comps will usually stick better than street tires at the limit racing. You will definitely slide and hydroplane cornering and need to compensate with entry and angle. That being said, though, R-comps aren't as safe as street tires on the road during normal driving and will hydroplane more so if you don't trailer the car or tires and are concerned you may wish to stick with street tires for the event. (Speaking of which I brought the Vette to work today with my R-comps still on and will likely be riding home in the rain tonight...)

[LaurenceC]

Since we are getting technical here.

Most people swap back to street tires if rain is likely and if you don't have time then just deal with it.

That tells me the tires are already swapped and its just a matter of swapping them back. So everything is already out

[LaurenceC]

Sorry Catlin, I thought I double posted and deleted your post

[DriftSS]

FYI,
regardless of r-comps or street tires, there will be a huge difference in times between wet and dry runs. Dpending on course, you can lose 5-6 seconds easy in the rain over a completely dry run. Which is why SCCA runs heats by class so its generally fair for all similarly-classed cars if a heat rains out and it dries out later in the day. So regardless of your tire selection, if it rains the times will go down, even for 4WD cars like an STI or EVO. However, learning to drive at the limit in rain is a great and practical driving experience regardless of car type. I actually used to prefer rain events since I'm used to steering with throttle oversteer and drifting so it was advantageous to me--although working a 1.5 hour heat as a marshall at Fed Ex in the pouring rain really sucked...

[03threefiftyz]

I was searching the internetz but couldn't find what I was looking for. I believe in the lastest version of GRM they did a comparison between the Hoosier Rain tires, Hoosier A6s and a street tire (z2s maybe?). Anyways the Hoosiers had a large change in time between wet and dry. Like 10 seconds. The hoosier wets were pretty consistent both wet and dry. And the street tires were a little slower in the wet and got a little faster in the dry. Maybe a delta of 2 seconds or so. The A6s were like 5-6 seconds slower than the H2Os in the wet.

The biggest thing with the R6s would be to avoid standing water at all costs. As long as you're not running through puddles the wet track isn't a huge deal. Just have to be careful.

Most people swap back to street tires if rain is likely and if you don't have time then just deal with it. It should only take you like 20-25 minutes to swap tires though. If you had help it would be quicker. Provided your help isn't just getting in the way.

The compound on H20's is ridiculously soft. That said, you run a dry run on H20's and you will ruin them. They will blister and chunk.

[Nathan Atkins]

The compound on H20's is ridiculously soft. That said, you run a dry run on H20's and you will ruin them. They will blister and chunk.

Yeah check out Kimi Raikkonen Malaysian GP 2009 for similar evidence of this