Can You Do Go-Karting In The Rain? Tips to keep you competitive in the wet.
As an outdoor track, we're often asked if sessions or events will go ahead if it starts raining cats and dogs. The answer is almost always a yes. Go-karting in the rain can be an exhilarating experience that tests your skills and adds a new layer of excitement to the sport.
In this blog post, we'll explore the ins and outs of karting on a wet track and provide you with essential tips to stay competitive and safe when the skies open up.
Can you do Go-karting in wet weather?
The short answer is yes - so long as the rain is not absolutely torrential or the track is flooded, karting sessions will go ahead. This may vary circuit-to-circuit so your best bet is to call up and double-check if you think your karting session may be in doubt.
Hire karts are usually on slick tyres and since slick tyres have no grooves, you can expect much less grip if it rains. Rather than throwing water out through the grooves, slick tyres will almost float on top of the water which severely reduces your grip on the track. Although the vast majority of circuits (including ours!) utilise slick tyres on their karts all year round, it's still safe to kart in the rain.
Is Go-karting in the rain fun?
Some people might think the lack of grip will make your karting session totally boring but it's actually quite the opposite! Picture this - you're fighting the kart on the limit of grip, holding power-slides and delicately balancing the brake and throttle to get through a lap. Pretty cool, right?
Although you can say goodbye to a lap-record attempt, thrashing a kart in the rain is an amazing experience. It usually takes some time to "settle in" and find the ideal way around the circuit when it rains but this is all part of the fun. Each corner comes with its own challenges and you'll have to find where the ideal line, braking point and acceleration point is.
How to stay dry karting in the rain.
One of the key parts of having a good time when you're karting in the rain is feeling comfortable. There's nothing worse than a soggy and gritty suit! Most outdoor kart tracks will supply you with a wet suit instead of the usual attire. These suits are usually made of plastic or rubber to keep as much water out as possible. Bare in mind, though; you've got to make sure your suit is fully done up. Even then, it's still possible for water to work it's way in so we'd recommend you come prepared with a spare change of clothes.
Along with the suit, there are a couple of other things you could bring yourself to stay dry out on the track;
A pair of waterproof gloves
Waterproof trainers
There are a couple of considerations to make if you're planning on bringing either of these, though. If you bring your own waterproof gloves, you'll want ones that are not too thin or thick and have some form of grip on the palm. For waterproof trainers, make sure they're not too bulky and don't have a thick sole/outsole. Although you can get away with bulky trainers (or even boots), it's not recommended as you'll have a bit less control over the pedals.
Tips for mastering the conditions.
Being quick in the wet isn't easy - even just staying on the tarmac can be challenging, especially if you've got a lead foot! Luckily for you, we've got some handy tips to help you thrash the competition in your next wet session.
The wet line.
You probably already know about the regular racing line - the quickest route around a circuit. Well, the wet line tips that theory on it's head! When you're on slick tyres in the wet, the rubber on the racing line is incredibly slippery. In this case, avoiding the rubber is often the quickest route, allowing you to turn quicker, brake later and get on the throttle sooner!
Finding the wet line at a new circuit can be quite tricky but, as a rule of thumb, you want to envision the racing line and try your best to avoid it. As you can see in the clip below, our driver completely avoids both apexes (the very tip of a corner) and accelerates to the right of where you usually would on exit. This allowed him to get through the two corners quicker and accelerate away without spinning the tyres when he put the power down.
When you take a trip through the rubber as you cross the racing line, you can actually feel the distinct lack of grip. This is where it's easy to lose control; be gentle on the throttle and brakes while you're on the rubbery racing line. Notice in the clip below how our driver has to steer in the opposite direction to regain control as he crosses the rubbery bits!
Be gentle on the pedals.
If you're quite new to karting in the wet, it can be a bit of a shock just how easy it is to lose control when you press the throttle or brake too much. It's a very common mistake; so many new drivers slam on the brakes, resulting in a lock-up or slam the throttle mid-way through a corner and spin around.
Braking: With kart brakes, they're just on the rear axle. This means, when you brake too hard and lock the wheels, you'll very likely spin. Our most simple piece of advice is to gently press on the brake pedal, gradually increasing the pressure until you feel the wheels begin to lock. It's a difficult feeling to describe but you'll recognise it when your bum is in the seat! Once you're used to the pressure required, you can get to this point quicker and quicker. Beware though; some parts of the track are slippier/grippier than others so the amount of pressure you apply can differ. An elite driver may be able to use the locking of the brakes to their advantage, using the slight loss of control to rotate the kart at higher speeds in the direction they want to go.
Accelerating: It's quite easy to say "be gentle on the throttle" but, at some point, you do need to put your foot down. While you're cornering, it can be beneficial to apply a little bit of throttle in order to keep your speed up and counteract understeer (when your kart doesn't turn). Too much throttle, however, will give you oversteer (when your kart turns too much) and potentially send you into a spin if not controlled. As you leave a corner, beware of the slippier parts of the track and gently ease into full throttle as your kart straightens. Less can sometimes be more; if you're applying too much throttle, you'll spin the wheels and go nowhere fast.
Steer hard!
This tip's a simple one; Even though you have to be a bit delicate with the throttle and brake pedal, using all of the steering is a great way to get your kart pointing where you want to go. Don't try and force the steering wheel past where it stops, though, as this can damage the kart. The rods that control where the front wheels are pointing can snap, causing you to lose control.
When the track's dry, this tactic is totally useless. Steering too hard on a grippy surface will cause understeer, sending you wide out of the corner. This is where excessive angle is put on the tires, causing the front tires to lose grip.
Practice. Practice. Practice.
Even if you've managed to soak in all of these tips, don't fret if you're still not getting the hang of it. Being rapid in the wet is a skill that requires quite a bit of experience. Although, if you're going up against average drivers in your next session or race, we can almost guarantee that just avoiding spins will put you ahead.
Whether you're a seasoned pro or new to the track, mastering go-karting in the rain will elevate your racing experience when it starts pouring down. So, gear up, embrace the challenge, and enjoy your time on the circuit, rain or shine!
Want to put your wet-driving expertise to practice? We recommend checking the weather, booking a karting session and keeping your fingers crossed that the forecast comes through.
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