Rain racing

I’m just wondering what you use, fwd, rwd, or awd, and if you use rear, what’s your strategy against hydroplaning? Besides avoiding them

I find the drivetrain is not as important as how you handle the car.

Puddles should usually be avoided, but sometimes the quickest way is through a puddle, then either account for the slide before you hit it or slow down to reduce the hydroplane. There’s a few spots on Sebring in the rain that I purposefully drive through a puddle, but i also have a pretty good idea where my car is going to slide if I do that, so I prepare for that when I hit the puddle.

Rain simply requires a lot more planning and forward thinking than dry racing, because the slicker surface and puddles add extra complications to the track layout. Your movements must be much more subtle and gradual, which means you must have a very clear idea of what you want to do well before you actually do it.

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I typically use the exact same cars and tunes as I would in the dry and typically perform better in wet races than others. There are a few things you need to know when tackling a wet circuit:

  • Know where the larger puddles lie. They never change which means that you can take the same line through a corner lap after lap.
  • In non-AWD cars, lift off the throttle completely when driving through standing water. If you must go through standing water at speed, try to put all 4 wheels through it and keep the car as straight as possible.
  • Brake slightly earlier and slightly lighter than you would in the dry, and make sure to give plenty of space to the car in front.
  • Avoid grass at all costs, as it will “suck you in” and pull you off the circuit.
  • Be patient when following another car. You can’t lunge into braking zones or power down early like in the dry. Follow a car closely and eventually they will make a mistake. Avoid contact at all costs.
  • If possible, stick to cars with gentler power curves. If you have to choose between a turbo-powered or naturally-aspirated car for example, go with the NA.
  • The Chase Far camera helps you spot potential dangers ahead, whether it be standing water or opposing drivers.

Here’s some onboard footage that will help also:

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Even in the rain I still prefer cockpit view, reason bring that the more you use it, the greater your proficiency you gain with it, plus the deeper the immersion.

As previously mentioned, some of the best ways to deal with the puddles is to follow the leads given above, with exception of using cockpit view point. Imo…

An additional tactic I’ve found useful of late is to raise the cars vehicle height to raise the underside of the car above the puddles, thus lessening the aqua planing effect that occurs, it’s not always foolproof, but it does help.

Plus in some cases, where the feature allows, I reduce the airodynamic settings, lessening the amount of downforce without sacrificing handling of course.

It seems to me that the puddle effects are somewhat easier to deal with since the December update… I can approach them at a quicker pace, and enter/exit them easier… Not perfect by any means, but they do seem to have changed a tad.?

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