For the second day in a row, on the last day of the event, Smitty and I left the motel in Wells, NV at 4:15 AM to drive for an hour to the Salt Flats. We also lost an hour changing timezones. On the salt, we hitched the Pathfinder to the trailer in the impound … Continue reading Bonneville Day 8 NEW RECORD
Bonneville Day 7 “Qualifying Day”
After waiting in line ALL DAY yesterday, we decided it would be better to let a few people pass late in the day to ensure we would have cooler conditions today for the air-cooled motor, and Smitty. We left the trailer in line overnight and returned the next morning. We left our hotel at 4:15 … Continue reading Bonneville Day 7 “Qualifying Day”
Bonneville Day 6 “In line”
Because of salt conditions, every vehicle attempting a record was running on the same course: the 4.0-mile "long" course. In previous years there were four separate courses (7-mile, 5-mile, 3-mile, and a rookie course) but a wet winter and continued mining operations made this year difficult. Check out Save the Salt to see the good … Continue reading Bonneville Day 6 “In line”
Bonneville Day 5 “Rookie Rumble”
After waiting three days for the salt to dry sufficiently, we are finally racing! Smitty is a "rookie" rider at Bonneville so we began at the 1.0-mile rookie course. We ran an oxygenated gas, chosen to make up for the loss of ambient oxygen due to altitude, which turned out to be less than ideal. … Continue reading Bonneville Day 5 “Rookie Rumble”
Bonneville Days 2, 3, 4 “Hurry up and wait”
Saturday morning began with the driver's meeting. I got my first glimpse of the massive scale of Bonneville Speed Week with all the participants -- drivers, riders, and support crew -- all gathered together. It felt like a reunion of speed-chasers! (This is also my first event as an official Gear Grinder!) We spent the … Continue reading Bonneville Days 2, 3, 4 “Hurry up and wait”
Bonneville Day 1 “Technical Inspection & Registration”
Soggy Salt Flats We arrived to some soggy Salt Flats on Friday after rain on Thursday... racing delayed until at least Monday... Technical Inspection & Registration The Red Baron made it through technical inspection with flying colors! The newest addition is the alcohol-and-water anti-detonation injection (ADI) system that can be used as needed for cooling … Continue reading Bonneville Day 1 “Technical Inspection & Registration”