Let’s race in the rain!

When karting is discussed with the uninitiated, comments about racing in the rain are common. And yes, karts do run when it’s raining, and no, it’s not more dangerous – in fact, it’s quite exciting, as well as being a great learning experience for the drivers. As in F1, only a large amount of rain leading to flooding of the track can justify an interruption of the competition.

Let’s go a step further. Can the result of a race be distorted by rain? The answer is definitely no. Grip is a permanent component of motor racing as a whole. Rain is just another variable to which we have to adapt. That’s why tyre manufacturers develop specific compounds for wet conditions as part of CIK-FIA homologation. As the tyres have been identical in each category for a long time, everyone is placed on an equal footing and it is always the ‘may the best man win’ rule that prevails.

Having said that, the rain that fell on Cremona last weekend for the second round of the WSK Super Master Series allows us to analyse the wet situation in greater depth. The first point concerns the infrastructure of the circuit itself. The quality of the surface plays an important role in its ability to absorb the water that falls from the sky. New or recently resurfaced tracks obviously offer better grip than older circuits. In the same vein, poor water drainage can lead to large puddles in certain areas, creating the risk of aquaplaning. Sporting officials and track managers are aware of this problem and know how to take the necessary measures to deal with it.

Not all drivers are equal when grip decreases. While some seem to be hampered by the rain, others take advantage of it to display their talent, sometimes in an imperious manner. It’s a question of preparation, often linked to the places where their training took place. Drivers from northern Europe may have an advantage thanks to their greater familiarity with the rain. But the main quality of a good driver also depends on his ability to adapt. The legend of Italian drivers being less good in the rain than in the dry is regularly challenged by reality. And that’s just as well! On the other hand, managing the intermediate periods when the track starts to dry out is proving to be very interesting. Drivers need to sense this change and try to take different lines before the others. Going from the outside to the inside can be decisive. In any case, it increases the interest of the races.

Although the pure performance of the karts is smoothed out in the rain, the work of the mechanics becomes crucially important in the rain. The height of the chassis must be adapted as much as its flexibility to exploit the slightest grip on the track. Even more than in the dry, tyre pressure remains the key to success. Experience, intuition and daring sometimes lead to spectacular turnarounds. However, the exploits achieved by the teams remain less acclaimed than they deserve in an area that is still very secret to the uninitiated. It is reasonable to attribute part of Emilien Denner’s victory and Giuseppe Palomba’s 2nd place to a better technical decision on the part of the Sodi team and CPB Sport, which has already demonstrated its excellence in this field on several occasions.

Rainy weather is definitely not an obstacle or an additional risk in the running of great karting races, quite the contrary. So let’s go racing in the rain, because that’s when the experience of good drivers comes into its own.