Music City Grand Prix will go on rain or shine
IndyCar pit crews have tires designed to run in the rain in case the track gets wet.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The rain in this weekend’s forecast is not going to dampen the parade of cars zooming into Music City for the big race this weekend.
In fact, Indy Car racing is one of the only types of racing that can race in the rain, thanks to a special type of tire that prevents hydroplaning.
“The show is gonna go on, rain, sun, whatever. We’re equipped for all conditions,” said Jim Jordan, Director of Toyota GR Cup.
Jordan explains that the normal type of tires that the car race in have no tread at all. That’s because the drivers want as much rubber touching the asphalt as possible.
However, if it rains, there’s nowhere for the water to go. So, the pit crew will change out to their rain tires that have deep grooves and allow water to throw the rain out.
“The spectators will see huge plumes of water coming out,” explains Jordan. “And that’s just the way the tires are engineered.”
Jordan is a former racer turned executive. He said that rain actually makes for a fun experience.
“When it rains, it adds an element of excitement, especially if it starts raining halfway through the race. It’s, like, who’s going to be brave enough and stay out and who’s going to guess right and come in. It’s really a fun element to the race weekend.”
As of now, there is about a 40% chance of rain in the forecast for both Saturday and Sunday.
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