dmwhite

ageed, although they can work fine in damp conditions too...


damp - if i think the track is drying (and depending on what kind of session it is, etc, etc), i will probably go with dry tires (r6's, hankooks, or whatever)...if i think its going to stay damp, get wetter, or maybe its also cold, i'll run wets or intermediates (worn down or shaved wets)

i'd use R6's/hankooks/bfg's in the damp any day before i'd use toyos...toyos are too hard to work well (compared to r6's, etc) in damp conditions, imo

or use worn down or shaved hoosier wets...they are designed to be used as intermediates once they reach the 1/2 way point (4/32's)...

imo, toyos suck in the rain/damp compared to hoosiers

+1

Veloce Raptor

Hahahahaha!

Hell, no. I have never driven RA in the rain.







Professional Racing and Driving Coach

jakermc

Saturday proved to be an interesting day with changing conditions to manage. I started practice on the Wets, cold temp was set to 34 if I remember right. Besides the wet, it was about 37 degrees out so I wasn't expecting too much of a temp change in our 15 minute session. I unhooked my rear swar bar and explored a bit .... enjoying 3 light spins during the session (never left the track). MSR-Cresson is very slick in the rain and I was experimenting with grip on and off the racing line as it was very damp and misting. Better to find the problems areas now instead of latter.

In quali I switched to R6 as it was only damp and not raining. I was driving the wet line and was begining to pick up the pace but suffered a puncture on the 2nd or 3rd lap and had to come in with a flat tire.

This put me 12th on the grid for the race. I left my rear sway bar unhooked and left the R6 tires on as the track was improving. I was able to creep towards the dry line on some corners but drove the rim shot on others. Times were around 1:45 versus a normal fast lap around 1:21-1:22, so it was still pretty wet. In all, probably one of the best races I have run! I finished 7th overall and 3rd in class after winning a 4-car battle (2 of us in class and 2 out) that lasted most of the race, barely beating an in-class competitor to the finish line by 0.15 seconds. I was really pleased with the patience I showed given the conditions and set up the passes well. For me getting the race craft right is a lot more satisfying than putting down fast laps.

Would have made for a great day had I not forgotten to rehook up my rear sway bar for the next race on a dry track ...

333pg333

So just to revisit this topic:

Wets are for wet surface and some rain be it light or heavy.

R spec like a Toyo are really for only just damp to dry.

R6 can handle it a bit damp, but no rain or water on track.
A6 should be able to handle a higher level of dampness but rain is still going to upset this tire due to no real grooves?

I normally use an R888 and these are really still very slippery if the track is damp/wet.
I have some full slicks which seem to want pretty much totally dry conditions.
Also have some r6.

So I guess with only 2 sets of wheels it's a gamble and lots of watching the weather radar?

What are the alternatives to Hoosier wets and who likes the different brands? I do have a set of smaller/narrower 17's. With wets is it as important to have the same width tyres as normal? Does aquaplaning come into the equation?

Bryan Watts

You should be able to run Toyo's in rain, dry, etc depending on the amount of tread left. That said, they will always be slower than a proper rain or dry tire simple because they are a hard compound. In general, I'd rather have a softer compound with less tread than a harder compound with more tread on a track that isn't absolutely covered in standing water.

See comment above about hard compounds. They are already harder than most fast dry compound tires. They are obviously not going to be soft enough to be great in the wet.

Slicks should be fine in the damp, just like R6's or A6's. As long as the standing water is minimal, slicks will be fine.

You can go narrower if you want. Aquaplaning certainly plays into things when there's a lot of water on the track. Generally, the size you run is just determined by what's available and what will fit.

GT3CAR

Here is a good example of a situation...

This is a video of a wet start at Sebring last week. I am the silver car in front of the car with the video. I was on new R6s at the start. They held relatively well but I should have had wets on the car as I could have developed a substantial lead perhaps. However, the track started to dry about 20 minutes into the race after a heavy downpour and everything changed again. I don't know what would have resulted in a better outcome. I was able to get 4th overall but the winner was 35 seconds in front of 2nd place and well ahead of me. I think he was on wets but I am not sure....

Jimbo951

I asked Hoosier at the Road Atlanta CR. I was told start them 4-5 PSI above what you start the R6's. The target is the same hot pressure.

Since the rains's won't heat up as much, you start them at a higher pressure.

333pg333

I found the other day that with a damp and in someplaces greasy track, I was getting some serious slipping on the slicks (& the R888s earlier). Probably didn't have enough time to get enough heat into them, but for a couple of laps when it started to dry up they were great. I'm in my infancy on slicks. At one stage when coming down the main straight accelerating in 3rd, the car hit boost and suddenly wanted to go very sideways which has never happened with the Toyos. Perhaps they would have given away earlier at a slower speed?

So all things being equal, you'd get the same size wets as you use drys if they're available? It's a gamble due to what's available and which wheels to put them on. My 17's are 8.5" & 9" vs 18's that are 9.5" & 10" and 10" & 10". Still if it's damp/wet I can turn down the boost and then perhaps the lack of width won't be as much an issue?