The Art of Racing in the Rain

@dalexeenko|May 25, 2025 (7m ago)155 views

I'm not great at driving in the rain. But the title was too good to pass up. I borrowed it from Don Kitch's famous essay, The Art of Racing in the Rain, which inspired the novel and later the movie by the same name. I love that movie.

Pacific Raceways is where my motorsports journey truly began — and honestly, I couldn't have picked a better place. Technically, it started at Laguna Seca, but I only went there once in a slow car (I took my Audi A4 on the track!), so that doesn't really count.

The 2.25 mile track in Kent, Washington, is absolutely gorgeous, surrounded by trees and lush greenery. It feels like you're racing through a forest, which makes it a bit more intimidating.

It starts with a long straight that includes a kink (Turn 10) which is a non-event as you don't need to lift. Then you hit Turn 1. This is where Don Kitch of ProFormance Racing School always emphasizes in every driver's meeting: "The car wants a command, and that command is throttle." Set a speed you're comfortable with. Make a slight turn in. Stay on throttle. The car can feel a bit nervous here (and you're going 120-130 mph), so it can be a bit unsettling.

Right after that is a hard braking zone into Turn 2. This is one of those corners where positioning is everything. You need to straddle the right part of the track to hit that very late apex. When you reach the apex, you open the wheel and go full throttle. Now you're going downhill full throttle. It's a lot of fun.

Turn 3A is where things get interesting. The traditional racing line is to stay left, brake hard, then turn in. The faster cars tend to take a much tighter line into 3A. The 3A to 3B sequence is where it's so easy to lose time. I'm sure I do. It's tempting to coast, but you've got to stay on throttle all the way to 3B. Then it's a tight hairpin onto the back straight.

The back straight is full send. You go from the right side of the track to the left side, then a braking zone. The key is to stay right while braking, position the car correctly just over the bump and be on throttle as you turn into 5A. It's one of the most intimidating corners — easy to lose time, and even easier to lose control.

After the 5A–5B chicane, you are set up for Turn 6. Let the car track out completely and then follow the fog line up the hill while on throttle.

Turn 7 requires a bit of a turn in, the car usually gets a bit unsettled here. Let it settle, get it pointed straight. Turn 8 is where you need to hit the apex, then open up the wheel just slightly to position yourself for the turn into Turn 9.

Turn 9 is a tricky corner because the apex is super late. There's a green cone on the fence that marks it and you need to try to get as close to it as possible. That sets you up for the main straight — and you're flying again.