Landracing Forum
Lake Gairdner, Australia => Lake Gairdner, Australia => Topic started by: Milwaukee Midget on March 24, 2018, 12:05:02 AM
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I'd like to open up this discussion regarding feasibility, costs, hurdles, and possible coordination efforts to take cars and/or bikes to Australia to compete at Lake Gairdner.
Saddened as I am to admit it, given the issues that are occurring with respect to Bonneville, I'm thinking Oz might be our last best place to realistically continue this sport.
Right now, I'm focused on getting ready for Bonneville in August, but I'm starting the fact finding to take the car down under. 2019 isn't out of the question.
Who amongst you have done this?
Who might be interested?
Is a container sharing arrangement logistically possible for anybody interested?
I know bike guys have shipped containers out of the Great Lakes to the Pacific Rim and Europe - New York is an option, and both Washington and California have ports with the shortest travel distances.
I know it takes approval out of Canberra, there are issues regarding certain brake and clutch lining materials, and fluids need to be drained.
How do you set up a container to ship vehicles?
Anybody else thinking along these lines?
Does anybody have contact information?
Yeah, it's expensive, but it's doable, and it's my thought that if there are like-minded racers willing to pool resources and information, and share containers to split up the shipping costs - and if the DLRA were open to an onslaught of Americans chasing down a number of open records - we could make this happen in a somewhat affordable fashion.
Let's open up this worm can.
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I hereby nominate the midget as official fact-finder (in his spare time) to meet with the Target-550 gang and record all answers gleaned from said meeting. :-D
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There are plans in place for two way runs at Lake Gairdner from 2019 :-D
SSS was spied working for the SOS team :-o
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Saddened as I am to admit it, given the issues that are occurring with respect to Bonneville, I'm thinking Oz might be our last best place to realistically continue this sport.
Let's open up this worm can.
As a Brit we cannot offer any racing surface to match the International Course at Bonneville. All our speed teams on two and four wheels have travelled for decades and will always travel in the 21st Century across the world to go really fast. However, have you exhausted research of all of the salt sites in the USA? If you have nowhere to race in your own country, then why not South America - say Bolivia? And as well as sites will SCTA/BNI become an International sanctioning body or will the Bonneville Records be frozen (much like the 1 mile tracks that close?). Yes, the DLRA use one year old SCTA regulations (with a National twist) but what happens after year two? I see lots of worms guys and girls.
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Gairdner comes with an absolute bastard last 100miles on the approach and no 20th century amenities, however.
The salt is unimpeachable and we are English speaking and on the surface a first world business oriented country with enforceable laws.
Going back to the downsides I'm here.
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We've put cars on the track at Lake Gairdner in 2017 and 2018. Used a Roll-On/Roll-Off arrangement in 2017 to take 3 vehicles together with a 53' car hauler and a repurposed 1973 GMC Motorhome Recovery Vehicle (not recommended) and a Container in 2018 (highly recommended). The last 100 miles are pretty rugged to be sure. For those who subscribe to Bonneville Racing News, our agonies were described in complete detail in one of the early issues in 2017. Also covered on Motor Trend on Demand.
After learning what NOT to do in 2017, our trip in 2018 was much easier on everyone. We put two cars in a Container along with parts with everything anchored down double-tight and with redundant hold-down straps or actually bolted on to metal we welded on the container itself. It is a lot easier if you purchase a used Container rather than try to rent one. They sell between $2000-3000. They have implemented strict rules on asbestos content. That did not come up in our export inspection in the US or the import inspection in Australia. But there is no guarantee that it will not in the future. We carried duplicate parts for our brakes and clutch in hopes that showing these would avoid a teardown.
There are NO communications at Lake Gairdner. No internet, no cell-phones, no land lines, nada! Oh, there might be a Sat-Phone that works sometimes. So, if you go, be prepared to be totally OFF THE GRID for about a week. But what there is at Lake Gairdner is a beauty that is rarely seen. In addition the DLRA people couldn't be more welcoming or helpful. They were frequent visitors to our area making sure we didn't need more assistance (we usually did). I'm noticing our Crew Chief, Steve Strupp who actually made all of the logistic arrangements and modified the container, so that he can follow this discussion and answer specific questions.
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I have been to Australia and Bolivia. In my estimation Bolivia is hands down the best venue in the world for land speed trials.
Why? Bolivia is much closer to the US than Australia. In Australia we had to deal with their onerous regulations regarding fuel, batteries, fire extinguishers, carnet etc and that was over 10 years ago. Once we got there after traveling miles into the outback over a dirt road that covered everything with a fine red dust the lake was under water. Al Teague and their effort in the mid 90’s ran into the same problem. Although things may have improved the accommodations were very spartan not quite Naked and Afraid but close. Oh and did I mention the flies? One positive thing we’re the people, great folks not full of them self’s, meeting Animal was worth the trip.
Contrast this to Bolivia. In Bolivia other than getting all the hazmat and customs information for the U S authorities before shipping there were no restrictions and no Carnet required. The annual rainfall between April and October is 0.00% and the wind on the salt mostly zero. The salt is a sight to behold stretches 100 miles in each direction and is up to 30 feet thick, not an insect in sight. Mike Cook prepared us a course best described as a concrete highway 15 miles long and 150 feet wide, it could of been 20 or 25 miles. We stayed in a 4 star hotel right at the entrance to the salt for $117 per night which included breakfast, dinner and free WiFi. There is a new airport 10 miles away. A brand new highway connects LaPaz to Uyuni. The Bolivian government was very supportive of the event.
Mike Cook is organizing an event this year July 10th through the 15th. The FIA and FIM will be in attendance for international records. At this point there are 2 cars, five bikes and one snowmobile entered. March 31st is the deadline for pre entry. The entry fee is $10,000 which includes the cost of FIM and FIA officials attending. For anyone entering after March 31st the entry fee is $15,000. Marcello our man in Bolivia is arranging shipping. A 40 foot container including pick up in the US, port fees, custom fees and delivery to the salt is $6,080. 00.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTDKb7dHymNBAfZ_OaCADPYeJUs_02JZx
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Ack, I don't doubt that. For International records, yes, hands down.
But the advantages I see to Gairdner are these:
There is a commonality of rules between BNI and DLRA. By design, the DLRA has made it's rulebook a virtual clone of the SCTA-BNI book. Generally speaking, if you've built a vehicle to the BNI standard, tech inspection in Australia would likely be very straightforward.
The ability to make power with a normally aspirated engine at 12,000 feet at Salar de Uyuni - vs. 125 feet at Gairdner - could prove crippling. Not all of us run blowers or turbos, and a normally aspirated vehicle would likely be leaving 25% of their power on the table. Granted, the lower density would be a plus for aerodynamics, but would that be sufficient to overcome the power loss? In normally aspirated vehicles where drag coefficients can't be greatly minimized or are a function of an original design parameter, Bolivia looks iffy.
As to the creature comforts, a person would need to be willing to step out of their comfort zone for a week in order to race at Gairdner. Personally, I'm looking at this as "sooner than later" - I turn 58 in a few weeks.
Right now, you've mentioned that Mike has 8 vehicles booked for this event. It's a great, high profile showcase for the finest and the fastest in the world, and maybe that's the attraction. When Eyston and Campbell and Cobb were running in the 1930's, Bonneville was equally as exotic and unusual.
But what we have now - at least with BNI and DLRA - are racer focused operations geared toward personal bests and accomplishments, with a high degree of comradery among a relatively large number of participants. I think it's going to be a while before Salar de Uyuni will have in place that kind of an atmosphere.
For special construction vehicles pursuing international records, yeah - Bolivia. Like Eyston, Campbell and Cobb, you guys are clearly on the cutting edge with this new venue.
But a lot of us aren't at the international record level. And despite the flies, the lack of accommodations, and the need to carry in and carry out virtually everything, I think it's the participant focused nature of the events that BNI and DLRA put on that make them attractive.
In Bolivia, I think I would miss the current cultural aspect that Speedweek or WOS provides.
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I will second that Chris, philosophically for many of us it is the journey not the destination.
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Gairdner comes with an absolute bastard last 100miles on the approach and no 20th century amenities, however.
The salt is unimpeachable and we are English speaking and on the surface a first world business oriented country with enforceable laws.
Going back to the downsides I'm here.
Oh, come on now. I think you are being too hard on yourself.
I've heard you are one mean "picker", I've witnessed Chris' prowess with an axe, so if you can round up a Gibson EB2DC, I'm in.
Sans flies, please.
:cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
Formerbassboy
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This is Steve Crew chief for Jack Rogers.
We can provide assistance with all aspects of racing in Australia. My wife CJ has mastered shipping process. The Carnet is not difficult once you understand it. We can provide tools, supplies, push truck, air compressor, welders, Canopies, Fuel, Nitrous, secure pre and post race work facility, pit crew help. We have developed a fantastic network of people and businesses in Australia. For those people that are interested in going in 2019 I would be glad to answer any questions. Contact me at Speeding4u@gmail.com. Hoping take 2 or 3 containers of cars and bikes in 2019.
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"As to the creature comforts, a person would need to be willing to step out of their comfort zone for a week in order to race at Gairdner. Personally, I'm looking at this as "sooner than later" - I turn 58 in a few weeks."
Ha! I turned 71 out there last week. :-D :cheers:
Wayno
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The bike was crated at my house. A big box van drove up and we pushed the crate into it. There were a bunch of bikes in the van. It drove to the port at LA where it went through customs and was put on a freighter. The ship off-loaded cargo in Panama and they lost the bike. It was found and loaded on another freighter going to London from the east side of Panama. Then it was trucked to a storage yard in Swansea, Wales where it was put into a storage locker.
After the race, the bike was cleaned up and put into its crate in the storage unit in Swansea. It was picked up by the shipper and hauled back to London where it was put on a Chinese freighter going either through the Suez Canal or around Cape Horn and back to Portland. The bike was unloaded and it took more than a month to get it back through gringo customs. Then, I drove up to Portland and got the bike.
I chose the shipping option which was "Deliver the bike to a storage yard in Swansea, intact, by this date. I do not care how it gets there. Use the cheapest method. When do you want the bike?" They told me a date and I had it ready and it was shipped out three weeks before they said they wanted it. This saved my butt. The bike barely got to Wales in time.
Knowing what I do now and when using the low cost boat option, I would ship the bike out with it arriving six weeks or a month before I need it so as to have time to deal with unforeseen problems.
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"As to the creature comforts, a person would need to be willing to step out of their comfort zone for a week in order to race at Gairdner. Personally, I'm looking at this as "sooner than later" - I turn 58 in a few weeks."
Ha! I turned 71 out there last week. :-D :cheers:
Wayno
Well as the youngster in the group, I turned 67 on Lake Gairdner, I am considering taking the new car there but need to do a little homework first. The salt was great, much like I remember Bonneville in the late 70s. What I want to do is take it there and leave it for at least 2 races, which should help if there is a weather problem. I have to see what the laws are for fire bottles and C02. I think Marlo mentioned he had a little issue with his bottles. Also can it stay in country that long....
The flies were friendly... they don't bite... but they want to be up close and personal. Although I dispatched several thousand of the little bastards there seemed to be an endless supply. They were only bad the day the wind was very strong, as we were packing up Marlo. Of course the one Wayno ate happened on a fairly low fly day.
The folks down there are helpful and friendly.... about 60 or so well lubricated ones sang Happy Birthday to me as I left the Canteen
It is remote, the road is rough, the flies are a pain, the flight over is long.... I think I will start planning to go back next year to help get the SoS racing.
:cheers:
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Ack, I don't doubt that. For International records, yes, hands down.
But the advantages I see to Gairdner are these:
There is a commonality of rules between BNI and DLRA. By design, the DLRA has made it's rulebook a virtual clone of the SCTA-BNI book. Generally speaking, if you've built a vehicle to the BNI standard, tech inspection in Australia would likely be very straightforward.
The ability to make power with a normally aspirated engine at 12,000 feet at Salar de Uyuni - vs. 125 feet at Gairdner - could prove crippling. Not all of us run blowers or turbos, and a normally aspirated vehicle would likely be leaving 25% of their power on the table. Granted, the lower density would be a plus for aerodynamics, but would that be sufficient to overcome the power loss? In normally aspirated vehicles where drag coefficients can't be greatly minimized or are a function of an original design parameter, Bolivia looks iffy.
As to the creature comforts, a person would need to be willing to step out of their comfort zone for a week in order to race at Gairdner. Personally, I'm looking at this as "sooner than later" - I turn 58 in a few weeks.
Right now, you've mentioned that Mike has 8 vehicles booked for this event. It's a great, high profile showcase for the finest and the fastest in the world, and maybe that's the attraction. When Eyston and Campbell and Cobb were running in the 1930's, Bonneville was equally as exotic and unusual.
But what we have now - at least with BNI and DLRA - are racer focused operations geared toward personal bests and accomplishments, with a high degree of comradery among a relatively large number of participants. I think it's going to be a while before Salar de Uyuni will have in place that kind of an atmosphere.
For special construction vehicles pursuing international records, yeah - Bolivia. Like Eyston, Campbell and Cobb, you guys are clearly on the cutting edge with this new venue.
But a lot of us aren't at the international record level. And despite the flies, the lack of accommodations, and the need to carry in and carry out virtually everything, I think it's the participant focused nature of the events that BNI and DLRA put on that make them attractive.
In Bolivia, I think I would miss the current cultural aspect that Speedweek or WOS provides.
You are right about Bolivia and Australia too, being for the folks that are serious about racing, going after serious records and being the best they can be. I totally get why people enjoy the club aspect of running at Bonneville. Build a highboy roadster with your friends or a bike, go out and have great time going after the countless records available. You don’t have to go to Australia or Bolivia to do this.
You are wrong about the comradery we had over 60 people in Bolivia all Bonneville veterans who stayed at the same hotel. The sense of adventure and purpose was electric. When Mike needed help preparing the track all 60 came out to help drilling holes, placing markers and many other sundry tasks.
Another thing you and I were wrong about was the performance of normally aspirated engines at altitude. Those of you that have flown normally aspirated piston aircraft know the higher you go the slower you go. Nick Genet and the Salimbeni brothers wanted to come and take their normally aspirated Aprilla RSV4 bike. I tried my best to talk them out of it saying you are going to go a lot slower because of the altitude. They just wanted to go. The same bike they had run at Bonneville numerous times before went 8 mph faster I was amazed. The only explanation I could think of was the very low humidity 8-10% and the cold air, motors love those conditions. Those that have flown piston aircraft also know how much better the airplane performs when the humidity is low and the temperature cold. They ended up setting a World record for a normally aspirated bike.
Even with the steep entry fee going to Bolivia I believe is cheaper than going to Australia as we did in 06.
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This is Steve Crew chief for Jack Rogers.
We can provide assistance with all aspects of racing in Australia. My wife CJ has mastered shipping process. The Carnet is not difficult once you understand it. We can provide tools, supplies, push truck, air compressor, welders, Canopies, Fuel, Nitrous, secure pre and post race work facility, pit crew help. We have developed a fantastic network of people and businesses in Australia. For those people that are interested in going in 2019 I would be glad to answer any questions. Contact me at Speeding4u@gmail.com. Hoping take 2 or 3 containers of cars and bikes in 2019.
Wow. Didn't get to say g'day this year Steve but you look like you went from strength to strength and you're loving it.
Sounds as if you guys have all the bases covered, well done.!
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Stainless there is the National Motor Museum just outside of Adelaide , Landspeed vehicles have been stored there on display , between speedweeks , in the past .
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The big issue I have with Bolivia is the altitude
12000 feet whan I'm standing up
This is out of my comfort zone
G
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I am looking at going to DLRA this season and would like some info from all y'all who have gotten the T-shirt.
Specifically I need to know who is Koolperformance and jfr757 as they seem to have "walked the walk" in recent years.
I went there in 2004, but, I imagine a few things have changed in the interim.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Now the 2nd Fastest Honda (Factory beat me by a bit less than 1mph), and with a new "Toy".
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Eva is updating her DLRA progress on facebook most nights, here is her last post,(cut 'n' pasted)
Eva Håkansson Racing
15 hrs ·
--- Into the 200s! ---
We had a great day at the salt today. Quite windy, but much cooler. We had to forfeit backing up our goofy 166 mph record run from yesterday for some needed maintenance and upgrades. We went back to the regular rubber tyre on the front, and with some clever outback engineering (which included stealing bolts from the container mezzanine) the crew managed to install the new Ohlins shocks in the front.
The new shocks gave a much smoother ride and better handling. We also installed the KiWieel on the sidecar. We are going to run all three wheels, we just won't do them all at the same time.
Because I haven't raced with DLRA before, they wanted to see a successful parachute run before I was allowed to open full throttle. I was speed limited to 200 mph, and I ended up running an average of 212.552 mph (342 km/h), which was close enough to keep the race director happy. That is also qualifies for a record that is worth backing up, so we will be in line first thing tomorrow morning trying to set an Australian record above 200 mph.
If we can get a record in the book, we will install the last KiWieel - the rear wheel. We ran the sidecar wheel today, and it worked great. I did discover that three sections of rubber hadn't cured correctly (I had my suspicions because the resin had absorbed moisture), and one nubbie was lost and several were worn. All other sections were perfect, just like on the front wheel. Kel replaced the damaged sections (I luckily had exactly three spare ones), and we will run it again today. Correctly cured, this rubber is clearly good enough for 200+ mph, which is more than halfway to the target speed of 400 mph.
So, in conclusion, we had a great day. The team is starting get into sync and I fear that I will soon be redundant. ;-) Fingers crossed for an equally good day tomorrow.
#DLRA2019 #EvaHakansson #KillaJoule #FlatOutIntoTheFuture #KiWieel #ReInventingTheWheel
P.S. If you are a facebook contributor and can't find your name on the large "Supporters 2019" sticker on the tail, check out the sidecar photos. If your contribution came in too late, you ended up with the major contributors on the sidecar instead. ;-) If you can't see your name there either, please send me a message - there could have been a glitch in the name printing list. I will write you in with a sharpie, and I will apologize sincerely.
Mal Hewett ran 187.9MPH on the Vincent, but destroyed a piston when he rolled off the throttle after going thru the measured mile.
AAA racing also do nightly updates via facebook, again, a cut 'n' paste of JP's post,
Afflick Land Speed Racing Team
23 hrs ·
Day 3: 12pm Wednesday Aussie Speed Week.
Down early on track again so Jacko could go to impound for his record backup, this morning it’s 14 degrees, a long way from the heat of 48 degrees 2 days ago.
Jacko backed up his record with a 109mph run. To set the record at 106mph for AF175cc.
Next Jo was lined and about 10am ran 65mph to once again qualify for a record and head to impound.
Two runs later dad lined up on the 100cc blown bike and the wind was increasing over the morning. He took off and all look good until the 1 mile marker where he got blown from the right side of the track to the far left, and aborted the run.
The track is now closed and there are many waiting to run.
Mother Nature is letting us know who is in charge, boiling temps, cold winds, lightning strikes, thunder storms and now strong winds all within four days.
We are in the pits with all four bikes doing our best to service them in 25mph winds.
More to come. 🏍🇦🇺🙏
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This was our trip back in 95. I plan to be there with the liner next year.
Sid.
https://www.dlra.org.au/1995international-speed-challenge.htm
Salt was wet, we didn't go 400.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQ3VOeILdM0
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Sure as hell sounded like it!
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Some familiar faces here.
https://youtu.be/pumzNDyeraQ
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Well! That was fine, indeed. I wanna go racing soon. Thanks to Kim and Eva for wearing their hats, of course. :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:
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Mal Hewett's Vincent DLRA Speedweek 2019
https://youtu.be/UM-VFixrXLw
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Good stuff, thanks for posting. Best of luck to everyone :cheers:
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Thanks for that Tiny, keep it coming Mate! How many US entrants down there & how are they doing?
Sid.
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last morning , friday , jim knapp went 309.....
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"..., friday , jim knapp went 309....."
Good Show, Jim. :cheers: :cheers:
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A bunch of great pics here;
https://www.facebook.com/walt.radobike
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Yeah, we had fuel problems over and over, so frequently "buttoned" it rather early, like the 2.5 to 3 with EGT's pushing 1500.
On the 309, that was with the chute out going trough one of the lights. Actually went 323 GPS.
At one point showed .61 on the G meter (hooked up, 7 degrees retard on the Traction Control, 98% throttle, 10lbs+/- boost. WAHOO!).
And final run of the meet, in order to test a theory (what else are we doing out there), I short shifted everything at 5500 and was in 5th by the 1.
That ride flat HAULS THE MAIL. Guess I gotta get a new Forum pic.
And the salt was 1980's Bonneville-like. Smooth, HARD and consistent.
Suspension logs showed pretty much to same small "spread" for the whole run.
And it goes on forever. A total chute failure at 400+ would be bumpy but not fatal. You'd just eventually stop 5+ miles off the end of the course.
And the wonderful Aussies don't have a "Back Door" clock. They just time a 6th mile!
Never got that far though. Oil pressure and fuel pressure problems haunted us all week.
The Aussie hospitality is not to be believed.
And yes it is difficult to get to (think driving 100+ miles into Callaway's house at ELMO). And you do have to bring pretty much everything.
But they had folks driving "in" most days, and the high dollar folks could hitch a ride in a Cessna back to Port Augusta each night if an RV in the wild doesn't suit them.
We stayed about 10 miles from the salt in the DLRA camp where they had rustic showers and toilets and served dinner every night for US $7.50 along with all the beer you could drink. Not to mention 240Volt 50 cycle (Aussie voltage) hook ups.
And yes we're going back. It is a week long party with some racing thrown in for good measure!
An no politics or attorneys running things.
Funny too. My best number printed onto a time slip in the new car was 309.438. In the Bearcat it was 309.483!
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Nice going Jim!
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Next time 438.309? :? :-o :-D :cheers:
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I like your thinking DDLLC
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Are you coming back Jim?
Also. is there any truth to the rumour that a certain lanky fella from waaaaaay oop north might be coming too? :wink: :wink:
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At the moment D.G. the answer is Not "No".
Can't do better than that at the moment
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Hey! Is that wanker you sent up to SpeedWeek spreading malicious stories about me again? Sure, I'd love to attend. I just need to figure out how to afford the airplane ride. It must be dozens of dollars, at least. I'll work on it, but I won't share my lucky lotto numbers 'til they turn lucky and win for a change.
In the meantime -- what if I brought a friend, too? Would she be welcome?
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They're running an FIA meet for 2 days after Speedweek...... :-P
Hey! Is that wanker you sent up to SpeedWeek spreading malicious stories about me again? Sure, I'd love to attend. I just need to figure out how to afford the airplane ride. It must be dozens of dollars, at least. I'll work on it, but I won't share my lucky lotto numbers 'til they turn lucky and win for a change.
In the meantime -- what if I brought a friend, too? Would she be welcome?
We take all comers. The Aussie$ is down, good value here at the moment, fuel might even seem reasonable :wink:
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What are the dates for 2020 down there? :friday
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I am pretty sure that Marlo/Valerie etal will be there if the car is ready. It looks like Australia is the only place a heavy unsuspended car can run in the future keeping in mind that a seven mile course won't be enough to stop the Target 550 vehicle if they have the bugs worked out.
It has been roughly fifteen years since Marlo drew up the car on a napkin (serviette to You Brits's) and back then We still had salt on the flats... "One Run", out....................................................
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Hey. SSS,
I know you are CHEEP, however, last February I paid United $540 for a R/T ticket non-stop Los Angeles to Melbourne and back.
Just sayin'
And while I am at it, last year the other half of San Diego's Fastest Couple and I went to China for 10 days.
The trip included R/T air LAX to Beijing to Shanghai to Beijing to LAX in 777's. Ten days in very nice hotels. Almost all meals. 24 hour English speaking guides and buses.
Total cost $399 (In case you think that is a mis-print that is One Dollar less than Four Hundred Dollars.)
The deals are out there, however, if you don't ask, the answer is "No"
Knapp
P.S.
(You trying to be Aardema or somethin'?)
And FWIW the Aussies run many things Way better than the Senior Citizens Timing Association. Hence the meet dates will coincide with phases of the moon to help keep the "tides" from dampening the course. Monday 23rd March to Friday 27th March 2020
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Web site with all info. https://www.dlra.org.au/2020.htm
Look around the site. Notice how cool their rule book is. Not to mention their clearly superior porta potties (don't get me started).
And the list goes on.....
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Just for Jim
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Jim, Jim, Jim. You have the luxury of getting flights that originate at LAX. Go to your search engine and substitute MQT (20 minutes from our house - next nearest airport is GRB, four hours away) and see what you get for a price. I have - gulp!!!
Maybe I should try a fund-my-goofy-idea online thing. Ya think?? :ear
I'll put it this way: Marquette is at the end of the line, and that means there ain't no cheap flights to anyplace 'cause it costs so danged much to get to a big city. A round trip from home to SLC is over $500 - sometimes way over. :cry:
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Okay, okay, Slim, I get your point. Probably cheaper to move doncha think?
I mean I could suggest alternatives but then you'd be suffering from bus lag as well as jet lag ("thumb" lag?)
Still... where there's a will.....
I know, I know - there's a relative, right.
But this is not a "practice" life. If you don't do it now, you'll only be older, and find it more difficult, when you do finally do it.
And DLRA puts on a heck of an event. I'm quite serious when I say SCTA could learn a LOT from these guys - from the aforementioned porta potties, to starting line setup, to ice, even to race director attire.
And FWIW Los Angeles is not a luxury. There are more people there than in all of DLRA country (many of them doing amateur LSR on city streets - yikes!)
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Heh, heh, heh.
Thanks GS.
And I'm quite serious about the PP comment. Without putting toooo fine a point on it (ow!), Oz Potties have a real toilet bowl with a flap at the bottom that keeps the "occasional" fly (we're at DLRA, remember) from, ummm... nibbling whilst one is, ummm... reading.
Plus a sink inside for washing up.
I could go on, but I'm beginning to bore myself - U2 I bet.
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What can I say? I've managed to find Honey Buckets for Bville -- quite a step up from United Waste, which company got the contracts early in my career as POPP. Remember the Poop Pyramids in many of the units at the line on the first day or two of racing? I have a difficult time forgetting the copious nastygrams I got about those. . . lol8 lol8 And those are the prime reason that we solicited bids from HB - and got a decent deal out of it.
Toilets with critter catchers? Reminds me of a local hospital, but that's another story.
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This has been a wonderful discussion but it's just that.
Get on your internet machine and look up the airlines that do the route, United, Qantas and whoever else and sign up for their emails. Get onto Webjet and whatever else there are on budget ticket sites and punch in the flights you want...they'll start inundating you with deals.
And like Jim said with the Yankee pound the way it is at the moment go on a holiday to Asia somewhere, Japan, Vietnam wherever, stunningly good, stunningly cheap.
Stop talking about toilets you freaks I'm trying to eat my breakfast.
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Are you running? :-)
Wayno
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Right now I'm sitting down. :naughty
The intention though is to get the car there with Motec and new ignition . They are running the FIA meet too so....we might even run time only in that as well......
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Gairdner was my goal for 2020 but it will have to wait another year now that I all but killed my left hand in a work failure. Can't call it an accident, it was just a dumb decision. You know those moments when you think "this isn't a good idea" & then it's too late!
The liner is close to being done but I can't finish the plumbing & wiring one handed.
Sid.
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Gairdner was my goal for 2020 but it will have to wait another year now that I all but killed my left hand in a work failure. Can't call it an accident, it was just a dumb decision. You know those moments when you think "this isn't a good idea" & then it's too late!
The liner is close to being done but I can't finish the plumbing & wiring one handed.
Sid.
Bummer kiddo, 2021?
I know that feeling it's like an out-of-body experience
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The clock's gone from ticking to clunking now that we've got to this age Goggs! This one fool should never have started building this much streamliner alone but I refuse to give up.
I haven't seen anything on the tank, how's it coming?
Sid.
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Methinks he doth not tell us much, especially about the new engine from a most-generous wonderful person ? if I remember it right. It seems like a long time from an update.
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Just a pregunta (as we say here in North Tijuana - that's "question" for you Ozies).
I've heard the fires are serious this year, but I also know (from gobs of personal experience with the "newsies", not just from what Our :clap President says) that most of what they print is fake, or wrong, or simply overstated to sell advert revenue ("news", my backside).
So, like I said, I've heard the fires are serious. Assuming, for the moment that is true, is there anything that needs doing or that we can possibly do, to help our mates down under?
Not sure what or how, but I thought I'd ask.
And, assuming Gairdner is still "available", and that we can put it all together in time, we plan to head back down for another week of abuse from all y'all (Ah-ni-mahl aside Prancing Pony is quite a motivator).
Fingers crossed for our mates.
Knapp
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Jim yes the fires are serious this year , been so dry over most of the country that even the usually damp alpine areas are going up like matches in a box
Not been this bad since the 1930's
Some of your Fireys are here helping along with some Canadians and New Zealanders
I suppose there is not much the general public can do except donate to help the affected , many people have lost everything, unfortunately like California and other states experianced summer just gone
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Methinks he doth not tell us much, especially about the new engine from a most-generous wonderful person ? if I remember it right. It seems like a long time from an update.
We are going to be there, and fast.
How's that?
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:cheers: :clap
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I guess there going to tell us tomorrow if they are going to have the event. I hope for Marlo's sake they don't cancel. :cry:
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Yeah, Greg Wapling e-mailed me earlier today. My container's been inspected in Melbourne and is ready to truck to Adelaide, but, as he stated, "When I was going to L.Arthur this morning, we still had a Grand Prix this weekend, by the time I was coming home the GP had first had spectators banned and the GP was cancelled." L. Arthur is where I have fumigation and inspection done when I ship to Oz.
Apparently the DLRA folks are waiting until the last possible moment to get as much info as possible and will decide Sunday evening GO/NO GO.
What a bunch of happy horse, umm... droppings if you ask me.
Fingers, toes and eyes crossed....
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Are you over/down there yet Jim?
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Nope.
Still waiting to see if the meet will be cancelled.
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I believe the intent is to run the meet, as we are more like a normal community out there not like a stadium crowd
current good practice of minimising contact and being proactive with hygiene will apply and canteen may need to operate a little more alfresco
but like you waiting on official confirmation.
Government has recommended meetings of more than 500 be cancelled but in same comment listed exceptions.
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Sad News.
Tom G.
Dry Lakes Racers Australia
29 mins ?
PRESS RELEASE
16/03/2020
Dry Lakes Racers Australia Inc
Greg Wapling President
PO Box 349
Castlemaine VIC 3450
info@dlra.org.au
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The DLRA 30th Anniversary Speed Week and World Speed Trials Australia #2 has been postponed to a date yet to be confirmed.
After exhausting all avenues it is with great sadness that the DLRA has come to the realisation that to conduct Speed Week and WSTA for 2020 has the potential to put people at risk.
Something that it strives to limit and remove from all of it's activities.
There are several key reasons as to why this decision has been made, and we can assure everyone it has not been made lightly.
The strategies that are being deployed to combat this virus by Government and other organisations is placing enormous demands on a finite group of specialists.
Originally we had planned for 3 doctors to be in place for the 2 events, but as of today we only have 1 and there is no guarantee that even he will be available by the end of the week.
Similarly the South Australian Country Fire Service is calling on its members to reduce their extra curricular volunteer activities as they are forced to replace members who have been inflicted with the virus.
We could no longer guarantee the appropriate medical and fire services that are required for such and event.
Now that the Corona Virus has been officially identified as a pandemic, most public liability insurance policies consider any episodes to be exempt which would leave the DLRA open to financial ruin.
Even with the concerted efforts that the DLRA were prepared to put into place through it's mitigation plan would not be enough to ensure a safe, risk free environment.
To our international entrants, we are truly sorry, but with the recent introduction of the 14 day self isolation for anyone entering Australia, it has made competing impossible for many of you.
There will be more information made available in the days to come.
Please bear with us while we regroup and plan for the future.
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So does anyone know Marlo and Stainless and et al's fates. Are they quarantined? Can they get back after that? Anybody know anything?
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I can tell you the situation changes by the hour. It is really difficult to fully understand some of the rational behind some of the decisions made but No matter where they are they should be able to communicate.
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The Target 550 team have been in Adelaide for some time ,although less driver , Les Davenport was also entered but i am not sure if he is here .
They were provisioning the containers they day before the event was called .
The only quarantine is for people coming from aircraft internationally from sunday our time .
we are free to move about .
businesses are starting to refuse to take Cash but then they complain that their trade is down .
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Last I heard was from Greg Wapling on the 16th, that Marlo is considering leaving the car in Australia at the Birdswood Museum, in SA. And that some of the others are thinking of leaving their cars in Australia as well.
FWIW, I am arranging to have mine returned to the U.S.
And fortunately I got word of the cancellation the day before I was to board the plane.
And they are considering moving "next years" event forward to December 2020 so they can use the same permits. (So will there be two Speedweek 2020 T shirts?)
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Stan, Johnboy and I are self isolating in a motorhome on the road somewhere in Australia. Healthy and doing my best to keep JB from getting too close to others to constantly talking. Linda was worried I would end up in jail in Australia.... for killing JB... cooped up with him for long periods can be taxing.... although I hear we don't have to pay our taxes.... at least for now...
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Are there any US teams planning on attending in March 2021?
I?m guessing not, because it?s difficult to even get into the country at the moment.
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My daughter sent me a news release stating the DLRA said there event was a go. That was a few weeks ago. Since then the state of Victoria (Melbourne) has done a stage 4 lock down on account of 10 C19 cases. Even though they are isolating the victims they are still requiring everyone to stay home and even groceries are delivered Malo told me he didn't have a crystal ball and he was so right. It is held in a different state and there is growing unrest, but hard to imagine old people getting in from U.S. :cry:
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Fresh off the DRLA website.
NEWS
15/02/2021 Special Meeting
There will be a teleconference of the DLRA committee on Thursday night (18th Feb) to discuss Speed Week. There may be a decision that night or it may be deferred to a later date. A lot depends upon what Victoria does with it's lockdown and what South Australia does with its border closure. Look for an announcement here after that meeting.
After the 18th we might know more.
Tom G.
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A week or so ago, Greg Wapling indicated it was a "Go", however, a rather poorly attended "go."
FWIW I elected to not go "Down Under" for a number of reasons, not the least of which was when Greg mentioned even he needed a permit to travel over to South Australia.
Then there's the two week quarantine, a rather confusing term. The not confusing part, however, was whatever they dictated was to be at my expense.
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
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Guess they wouldn't let ya quarantine in a motorhome at the salt flats...
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A few runs................then it rained :-(
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very windy on the monday, many waited for that to change , i went to the site Wednesday
midday, steady to heavy rain , i left the site mid afternoon the lake was well covered with water , trip out was very wet and traction difficult (. for those that don?t know the site , it?s by any standard a rough dirt / corrugated / bull dust road ( means fine powdery surface ) for about 120 kms ( 70 miles ) and after rain it becomes VERY tricky driving conditions
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I certainly got wet... we stayed till Saturday to miss the rain but it started to rain as we left on our trip out...
We got some good reflective shots once the wind stopped...
Longshot had a very productive event in resetting the C/GCC to 210ish mph and received the best appearing team..
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Photo's are going up on the dlra facebook site .Envy the salt condition .
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I don't do facebook but I found this video from when we were down there in 95.
Sid.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSg2FPL7SNg
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results
https://www.dlra.org.au/2023.htm
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Thanks for hooking us up Bob.
Sid.
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Copied from the DLRA facebook page
Dry Lakes Racers Australia
After an inspection of the lake last Sunday (11th February) the salt at the ramp was very thin, the start line was still very soft and track 2 unusable. It was estimated by those at the inspection that it is unlikely that the lake will dry out enough in the next few weeks for an event. However, there will still be a final inspection on the 29th of February.
My advice is don't stop doing what you planned to do just yet, but at least you now know what we are up against.
Pre-Entries cut-off will be extended until 1st of March.
Any entries received after the 12th of February will not be processed until after the outcome of the inspection is known.
Look for more information at that time.
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From the DLRA, It's a go, course 1 has 8 miles of good salt and course 2 is pending. :cheers: