So this Saturday & Sunday is the Season Opener:
Temps to be 50-60 and raining Saturday. 50 ain’t bad and rain ain’t bad, but combined sounds miserable. Sunday should be OK. I don’t have a karting rain suit. Does any one have any suggestions for alternatives? What works and doesn’t. I mean besides having a proper karting rain suit . . . I might have to go trolling the aisles at Walmart.
In the future what are the suggestions for a rain suit.
I have a nice and fancy set up for my air cleaner but nothing for me.
Go faster. But seriously, check your local motorcycle store, they sell really good rain suits there too. I’ve used the old yellow rain suits you can buy at outdoor stores before. Just use duct tape around your ankles to close off that area.
On the motorcycle suit idea, also look into thermal wear to wear underneath your suit. It’ll keep your warm.
Another quick trick is to wear thin rubber gloves under your race gloves. It does wonders for keeping your fingers warm when it’s cold and rainy.
Duck hunters do that around here.
I figure my 2 basic strategies are keep everything dry or keep just my skin dry. Ideally keeping suit and gloves dry would be my first choice and maybe harder to do. That way If the rain stops and if the track dries my gear will already be dry.
Either way I may skip Saturday if it is too bad. I have to go there anyway on Saturday & Race again on Sunday. I kind of hate the double headers first thing in the season. Any problems are multiplied. It is not so bad for the experienced guys but it is a killer on newbys.
On a related note I use some weather apps. I have found some local radar views to be pretty helpful in seeing what is coming near us in real time. (Real Enough) In our case it is nice to see what is coming from the Gulf of Mexico. At least the big trend is nailed down. I bought a barometer and that is also indicative/predictive of whats happening. I’m not an expert by any means though.
Which is a good lead in into keeping awnings from flying away . . . .
Other than the good advice above, make sure you have Rain-X or Molecule Anti-Fog or some dish soap to keep the visor clear, bring some extra socks that are kept inside so they’re warm and dry, and make sure you have another race suit/shirt to swap into as well. People don’t realize how warm it gets and how much you sweat when you’re driving with a plastic poncho and 3 layers of clothes on. It’s nice to have dry non-stinky clothes to change into between sessions.
The socks thing is my biggest pet peeve in the rain. My feet are always soaked and freezing.
For awnings, we always use buckets or old kart tires filled with concrete and strap them to the corners. And strap the awning to the trailer whenever possible.
Rain is fun if you’re prepared, but an enormously stressful environment if you’re not!
One of the big things about karting (and in other things I have done) is how the smallest problem just saps your effectiveness. Last Sunday the beacon wasn’t there - no lap times. Dead Snipers - I adjusted the front by relative positioning of the adjusters. Between those failures I felt like I wasted a track day - Except for the building character part.
Rant On>
Awnings not secured is a giant pet peeve of mine. I tend not to put mine up most days, but I do anchor it no matter what. Our trailer and tow vehicle is old and tattered. Others have some nice stuff that does not need to get hit by a flying awning. At the very least it would be a nuisance. Then there is the possibility of injury.
<Rant Off
I havent raced yet, but my plan to counter the wet (as far as driving equipment) is as follows:
a) Get a tyvek type suit from local hardware shop, they are usually white in colour. The type used for painting/asbestos removal/weed spraying. They are leightweight and cheap as chips! Waterproof but breathable.
They also have hoods with closable face apertures. Could be cut off with scissors or utilised under the helmet to keep the neck area dry.
b) latex type gloves on first. Then put the tyvek suit on over the race suit, then put the racing gloves on so the cuffs go over the tyvek at the wrists.
c) supermarket plastic bags over your socks work wonder. Simply slip them on over your socks before pulling your boots on. Tuck the ankle cuffs of the tyvek over the plasric bags. Your boots will get wet but your skin wont.
You may look a gronk in the sperm suit. But you will be dry without overheating…
I wore one of those white hazmat type suits. Kept me dry pretty much all day but if the track is a lake I don’t think there is much you can do. It would have done me well if it was just rain and the track wasn’t flooded.
