You can learn a lot about driving at a rain event!
Video from HPDE
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 711
Likes: 3
From: charlottesville Virginia
Video from HPDE
Thought some of you may enjoy this as there aren't too many videos of c4's on the tracks out there. This is my second HPDE at Summit Point and it was very wet for the first two sessions, unfortunately at the beginning of the third my camera failed and the good footage is gone. Lots of very fast cars and lots of money, I had the oldest car on the track for the session and amongst the oldest there for the day (as well as lowest cost). It's amazing how the old C4's can keep up with modern cars. Since this was during the wet I still didn't trust my tires and kept it fairly slow for the first half of the session. I did not end up having to give a single point by in the dry sessions.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 6,413
Likes: 9
From: The Old Dominion
Too bad the dry vids were lost. In the wet, that doesn't look very fun, having to pedal it down the straights and such? Would you do a rain event again?
And what are the details on the other C4 in front of you? Cool to see a few C4's at the track at the same time.
And what are the details on the other C4 in front of you? Cool to see a few C4's at the track at the same time.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 711
Likes: 3
From: charlottesville Virginia
The other C4 in front of my is actually my dad, both cars lightly modified and are pretty much daily drivers, no better father son bonding time than at the track. We got a chance to do a lot of cat and mouse during the dry runs, his 88 with a little more power had me on the straights but my stickier tires and some experience with autocross gave me a slight advantage on the curves. Even with it being wet it was still a blast, I dont know that I would sign up and go to a track day if I knew it was going to rain all day, but I definitely wouldnt skip it if it was planned ahead like this was or was only going to be wet for the first half of the day. Like others have said, a lot can be learned on a wet track, slower speeds give you a chance to see the lines better and a safe place to test see what the car is capable of in less than ideal conditions. Going down the straight was still between 90-100 mph in the wet so I wasn't letting up a whole lot there, just getting into it later, lifting, and braking early, my top speed dry was around 115 for the day.
Race Director
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 13,960
Likes: 707
From: WI
I had a bunch of vids lost with my old camera. Hitting the rumble strips or others bumps would turn it off. Frustrating! The new one doesn't do that. Very cool to have a track event with your father!
I thought it was pretty fun to slide around and learn car control in the rain.
I thought it was pretty fun to slide around and learn car control in the rain.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 9,698
Likes: 3,467
From: Akron Ohio
2025 Corvette of the Year Finalist - Modified
2024 C5 of the Year Winner - Modified
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2022 C5 of the Year Finalist - Modified
St. Jude Donor '09-'10-'11
Cool video! Thanks for sharing.
The rain makes the car act like it would at high speed, but its kinda like slow mo. It makes you more aware for when you get faster. My first HPDE ever was in the rain. My Grandpa (also my instructor) was kind enough to let me use his Vette (C4 at the time) and he drove me around first and then I got to drive. I only spun twice, but by the end of the day I was within a second of his time. You did a goo job of taking it easy at first and then picking up the pace as you felt comfortable. 
The rain makes the car act like it would at high speed, but its kinda like slow mo. It makes you more aware for when you get faster. My first HPDE ever was in the rain. My Grandpa (also my instructor) was kind enough to let me use his Vette (C4 at the time) and he drove me around first and then I got to drive. I only spun twice, but by the end of the day I was within a second of his time. You did a goo job of taking it easy at first and then picking up the pace as you felt comfortable.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,129
Likes: 1
From: Pasadena CA
It's much easier to explore the limits of your car in the wet with lower speeds. If you really push it you can see how your car reacts in a spin, which weirdly gives you more confidence rather than scaring you away, plus it really separates the good drivers from the not so good rather than it all being about the cars
Drifting
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 1,672
Likes: 8
From: Sumter South Carolina
What camera is that and where is it mounted? My go pro wont adjust to the light outsid, it adjusts to cab lighting and so a crummy balance. I want to see myself drive though and my shifts...
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 711
Likes: 3
From: charlottesville Virginia
Its a gopro mounted to the harness bar, you can change the focus settings on them to either focus on the light outside the car or dark inside. This video was done with the setting to look outside, but does give a nice view of what is going on inside as well.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 6,413
Likes: 9
From: The Old Dominion
I'd think it's much easier to exceed the limits of your car in the wet. You have a car with way more brake and way more horsepower than you have grip. And a bigger differential in cornering force between gripping and sliding. I don't know, it sounds like a way to take a novice drive in something like a Can-Am car, except without any of the g-forces and noise.
While certainly part of an HPDE is to get better and learn to drive better, it's also to have fun. But it sounds like the OP had fun.
And 100 down the main straight in the wet, that's moving pretty good. Got to be pretty thrilling.