What makes wet racing more 'mentally draining'
The presence of wet weather threatens to shake-up first round of the 2022 season in Sydney.
This weekend’s Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight will feature dual 300km races, the first of which will be held under lights.
Drivers and teams are bracing for a wet start to the new season amid wet weather.
Southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales have copped the brunt of wild weather.
The three-day Sydney event is set to feature more rain, which will make the 300km races an even greater challenge.
Rain lashed Sydney Motorsport Park last November when Supercars last raced in Sydney.
Races 25 and 29 featured classic wet-weather drama, and were headlined by come-from-behind performances by Chaz Mostert and Shane van Gisbergen.
Thomas Randle competed as a wildcard in the first wet Sydney event last year, which also featured a night sprint race.
With an eye on Saturday’s night race, Randle explained how changing grip levels offer a greater challenge for drivers.
“Mentally, racing in the wet is so much more difficult,” Randle told Supercars.com.
“When it’s dry, you get into a rhythm and go into autopilot mode. You’ve got braking markers and turn-in points.
“In the wet, every lap, every corner, is so tricky. The grip level keeps changing.
“Especially in a night race… that’ll add more to the mix. That’ll be a great spectacle for the fans.”
The 77-lap Saturday race is scheduled to start at 7:10pm.
Safety Cars will likely play a role this weekend
The 300km affair could last for more than two hours, with fatigue to play a part.
With that in mind, it’s critical teams have ticked every box, or a driver’s chances will slip away quickly.
“The checklist for a wet race is pretty big,” he said.
“You have to make sure your windscreen wipers work, your anti-fog works.
“You wear a clear visor to brighten up everything.You need to keep your boots dry.
“It’s so mentally draining… you almost have a headache, your eyes are so strained.”
Randle finished 16th in last year's wet Race 25, which was won by Jamie Whincup, featured three DNFs, and a lowly 23rd-place finish for Shane van Gisbergen.
Knowing how great that challenge was, Randle was wary of what Saturday night could offer.
“It was intense, to say the least,” the 2020 Super2 champion said of the water-logged Race 25.
“If you’re in the top three or four, it’s okay, because you can pull out to the side and avoid the spray.
“From 10th back, you’re in a lot of spray.
“I’ve done some gnarly races in the rain in open-wheelers and those tyres push out so much water.
“Our tyres still push out some water, but at night, the spray hangs in the air for some time."
Practice 1 in Sydney will commence on Friday at 3:15pm AEDT. CLICK HERE to view the race schedule.
CLICK HERE to purchase your Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight tickets.
