The Driver’s Eye Goes Racing in the Rain at Watkins Glen

This week the Driver’s Eye goes racing in the rain via wet Spec Miata racing at Watkins Glen with NASA NorthEast and No Money Motorsports.

“At this point in the season (and my general lack of time to repair a bent car) My personal goal is to keep the car from getting wadded up, so I take a very conservative approach in the wet. When the green flag dropped P1-3 ran away, so I spent the majority of the race managing big gaps between cars behind and in-front.”

“I am NOT an expert in the rain, but what I see from many drivers (in HPDE and Race groups alike) looks to me like a gross underuse of the rain line. Remember in the wet to stay off the dry line as much as possible, especially at apexes and brake zones. The porous pavement on the standard line is stuffed full of discarded rubber, making for a MUCH more slippery driving surface. While driving off-line and going straight past a turn-in point to stay high (and off line) through a corner may feel strange, a MUCH less dramatic drive through lets you carry way more speed.”

“I’m not the fastest in the rain (or the dry, really) but this video is what I do.”