Running in the Rain

The car runs in the rain. Preparing it is mostly about keeping water out of places that do not tolerate it, and drying those places afterwards.

Before you go out

1. Check where the air tank breathes. The intake belongs behind the dash, out of the weather. Look at where yours draws from, and if it is somewhere more exposed, relocate it before you run in the wet.
2. Drain the air tank. Water collects there in normal use and rain makes it worse. With the car powered off, pull the purge valve and purge it a few times. The valve has a small pull that looks like a key ring. Drain it again after the session; see After the session.
3. Check the GCU for water. This is not specific to one generation. The daily checklist already calls for inspecting the GCU and compressor for water at every event, and rain is when it earns its place: check before the session rather than after, and dry and reseal the housing if you find any. See GCU Water Intrusion for the inspection and the sealing check.

After the session

Dry the cockpit. Do not park it wet and walk away. Water sitting in the cockpit finds electrical connectors and fasteners, and the damage shows up weeks later as a fault you will not connect to a rainy Saturday.

Purge the air tank again, car off, once you are done for the day.

Tires

The spec tire, the Nankang AR-1, is close to unusable in the wet. On a test day or an HPDE you are free to fit something else, and if rain is likely you should. In spec-series competition you may not have that choice, so check the Technical Regulations or ask the organiser before you plan around a wet tire.