Wet track grip levels

[DaveV]

Maybe a bit of a broad and subjective question but I was wondering what peoples grip levels are like on a wet track?

I was at a trackday yesterday and it had been raining since the night before with a good bit of standing water but tbh I felt as if grip was fairly poor.

I was having difficulty acceleration out of gentle third gear corners with oversteer happening with anything more than an inch or two of throttle @ 60-70mph and a quarter turn of steering

Tires had 3mm ish over wear indicator.
Maybe I expected too much?

[SM]

I have found varying levels of wet tracks.

First time in the wet was awful, at Elvington, I hated it, one of the few times my ABS got some use. I got better as the day went on but it also dried out.

However even in a thunderstorm Castle Coombe wasnt too bad at JapFest this year (I was out with the Z club, not SXOC track session). And Cadwell in July was unbelievably grippy for how wet it was, Bren, Dr.Bob in the jag and SteA also found this.

I think it will always have too many factors to consider, but what tyres were you using at the time? how smooth was the surface? How wet? Sometimes full rain can be grippier than slimey surface from light rain ... I was on slicks at silverstone in drizzle but it was still very very grippy. I think you just have to gauge and adapt all the time, but I tend to find there is more grip than expected rather than less, but smoothness counts for a lot in the wet.

[DaveV]

Tyres were Dunlop SP somethings but had good tread.

I was at the same track in what seemed the same conditions a year ago and thought I remembered the grip being better.
That said, at the day last year only one or two went off, at yesterdays session at least a dozen had red flag, bodywork altering incidents in just the morning alone!

I'm just concerned that it's possible my aligment still isn't right and it's affecting grip.

[SM]

I've tried the dunlop SP2000's ... that could be your problem ;)

[SuperRetard]

You'd be amazed how the levels can change surface-to-surface in the wet. The differences can be greater than in the dry. Abrasive surfaces can have an easy 80% of their dry grip, more oily, sealed, surfaces can be like ice.

Estoril turns into an ice rink in the wet, as does Donington Park. But tracks like Rockingham and Nurburgring GP seem pretty good.

[kam]

Estoril turns into an ice rink in the wet, as does Donington Park.

Donington is a handfull in the wet!!!

And thats in a 78BHP Fiesta :wack: