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I’m running HPDE 1 in NASA this weekend at RA. I’m not an inexperienced driver, just wanted to run with an instructor for a session or two this year. Weather is going to be 40-55 degrees, 80% chance of rain. Tire options are:
- Three year old 205-50-15 RE-71’s on 15x8 wheels, 50% tread
- One year old 195-55-15 BFG Sport Comp 2’s on 15x6.5 wheels, 50% tread
I really don’t feel like schlepping two sets of wheels up there for an HPDE. If you could bring only one, what would you bring?
I’m leaning towards the BFG’s, because I feel like they’ll be more predictable on a colder track.
Last edited by Schroedinger; 03-07-2018 at 03:03 PM.
71 wider and softer, so better overall (unless completely heat-cycled out). However, if there will be standing water, you may be better off with BFGs as REs will hydroplane on standing water even when new. BFG dry traction is bad, but they will evacuate water better than REs. Your choice.
WRT the 71’s, I’m more concerned about the cold than the water itself. If it’s 45 degrees and wet, they’ll probably never get the chance to warm up.
My n=2 with BFG SC2’s goes as follows:
- on Miata at AMP, ***** hot day 90+. Craptastic, once hot they were a greasy mess.
- on Lemons car (Buick) at RA in 30 degrees snow/rain mix. Surprisingly fast, felt pretty confident.
The track will be unbelievably slippery. More slippery than the normal streets when wet. I had a student loop it on the second turn because he didn't listen to me. Don't be stupid.
Road Atlanta isn't horrible in the wet, but yeah Sunday is likely guna suck haha. They've improved some of the "puddle" sections with better draining, like in the esses. Stay clear of the gators, especially exiting T5, it's slippery as **** when wet, just ask sixshooter
+1 on the BFGs, they're newer and they'll handle standing water much better than the RE71Rs. I'm actually instructing this event, whats the chances that you'll be my student?
The track will be unbelievably slippery. More slippery than the normal streets when wet. I had a student loop it on the second turn because he didn't listen to me. Don't be stupid.
Update. I rode the BFG's. It was a good choice. At my skill level I would have been a mess on the RE-71's in the rain.
I tried not to be stupid, and was only partially successful in the pouring rain. Went four wheels off into the gravel at turn 3 on Saturday morning, and spun coming out of turn 7 on Sunday afternoon. No damage to car or people; pretty minor really. I learned a lot, my driving really improved throughout the weekend.
Props for running in the rain. It's really good practice, you can learn so much in the wet.
All of the TT Larry's told us we were crazy for running all the sessions on Sunday. Most of them did one session to "tick a box" and then packed up and left. Those guys cheated themselves of awesome track time they paid for.
We were one of the fastest TT cars in every session on Sunday (I think second or third fastest every session). Only way to learn how to go fast in the wet is to get wet practice.
Allen (BlackBandit) said his four year old BFG all seasons were terrifying in the wet. He got a lot of car control practice I guess...
Yeah, honestly I learned a ton driving in the rain. On the dry track I was thinking about driving faster, and I didn’t get any faster. In the rain I was thinking about driving better- good line, proper braking, smooth turns, throttle input, etc. And I got faster.
The extra power definitely requires skill to handle. When I had the spin, I actually executed the turn very well until the track out. Then I got on the throttle a little too heavy for the conditions and that’s all she wrote. Fortunately it was in the slowest corner of the track, and I learned how to handle the situation better the next time it happens. If I had just slid through it I probably would have gone two wheels off and recovered; instead I tried to correct it and ended up spinning the other way.
Really fun weekend, can’t wait to get out there again. I’m going to stay on these tires for a while, I don’t need anything stickier right now.
Wet + 40° + 4 year old R888s make for an exciting morning with the track wet
I never did any wet days on the sportbike when I still had it, but I think 40% of my HPDE's have at least started the day with a soaking wet track or still actively raining. Did one a few years ago in a friends WRL car on used up R1Rs.........up in Iowa, it was like ice. I nearly spun the car on the paced out lap. That would have been monumentally embarrassing.
03-07-2018, 01:25 PM
HPDE, 50 degrees and rain. Tire choice?
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