This works very well for me. Could have been a contender for the 'Soft Focus' challenge with this! :D Anyway, you've certainly captured the essence of rain in this image. Nicely done. Good luck in the challenge.
Wow, looks almost like a ghost rider... Usually I don't like too much soft focus, but here it serves the purpose really well, making the pic look "damp" and wet. It works as it is, but I think you might have cropped a bit tighter on the right (about half an inch). Good shot.
This lack of sharpness makes your pic come alive. It brings you right there, following the guy, having a hard time manouvering, seeing oncoming traffic. Composition says it all... I like a lot.