Landracing Forum
Announcements => Upcoming Events => Topic started by: JackD on March 02, 2007, 08:03:35 AM
-
The local time here is 0500 PST
About 15min ago. the report from Rod Hadfield at the salt in Australia was the salt was impassable.
From the edge and out 150 mtrs it was just sludge and a rod could be pushed into it for about 2 ft. with very little effort.
They will have another meeting in about 8 hours to decide the schedule.
It does not look very promising.
-
Thats tough, two years in a row.
DW
-
Man, Doug Odem packed up his streamliner and sent it over - what a shame. how long does it take to dry out and be useable?
Carl Johansson
-
Maybe they can go to SLC and tour the Tabernacle.
There's no crying in LSR.
FREUD
-
Carl, its what ya make it...........
logistically it can be tougher out there..
for Odom it is tens of thousands of dollars to get a vehicle
near the salt from here, and many thousands more to get yourself
near their salt.........
its so much more remote there......they have many folks
enroute.......that wont likely get to know the status of the
meet until they are thousands of miles from home.......and
those are the folks enroute from locations on that vast mostly
desolate continent.......turk, odom others are tens of thousands
away
the means of commo are much more limited there than US.....
their (aussie) spirit is something to behold and they will
adapt as able with lack of whining largely unknown here
in the states.......
they are largely content to be away from the wives and
or share comraderie with cold ones.....
wish I was there to share in it.........
Joe
-
There is a meeting this morning (09:00 Lake time) out at the lake to determine if the event is to go ahead. It sounds as though there will be no heavy vehicle access out onto the lake and I believe that there is but one suitable access point. Comms are pretty tough out to the salt as the nearest (and only) phone is at the shearers camp about 10 kilometres away.
Info will be passed onto the DLRA website this morning advising a go / no go and will no doubt get posted here as well. I was due to fly out tomorrow morning but will await further news.
It is a tough situation, the lake was under a reported metre of water as of 5 weeks ago and looked to have dried up. There were numerous reports from flyovers and from the local sheepstation that the lake had dried up but it seems that the edges were still wet. Apparently the middle section of the lake is better but you'd have to wonder how traction would be given last year was drier and traction was still ordinary in places...
their (aussie) spirit is something to behold and they will
adapt as able with lack of whining largely unknown here
in the states.......
We are a pretty optimistic bunch and given the location of our lake and trouble taken to get there we would all like to think it can still go ahead. If it doesn't, I'm sure some other type of racing will occur at the bar...
Stay tuned.
Lynchy
-
Well, It's officially off in Australia this year due to inability to get onto the salt....
:cry: :cry: :cry:
-
That's a real bummer for all. We were rained out two years in a row at Bonneville and it's a long wait for the next event. Better luck next year.
Glen
-
Arrrrrrghhhhhg............................we sweated down to fighting weight we've done the warm-up , towel about the shoulders and we've been shown all the pictures of things we hate( Donny Osmond , Olivia Newton John , kustom Choppers, front wheel drive,fraction control , ....now the meets off , OFF??? , yep OFF!!! :x Last night we did the quickest prep and paint you've ever seen and it's looks good enough to eat( that's "grouse" in our parlance).........day and night we've been at it ..........Dontcha all know how it is?????? this morning I'm laying stuff out ,getting the tool sets complete ,checking spares .Then the news came through.
THE BEST LAID PLANS OF MICE AND MEN AND SALT LAKE RACERS ARE OFT LAID TO MUSH.
So we're having a beer . It's all part of what makes it great , the lows make the highs greater ,sniff, we'll all be , sniff , stronger , sniff in the , sniff , end .
-
I have been in touch with those at the lake , this morning , and yep as stated above , the 2007 event has been cancelled . Access to the lake is impossible . Permission was given to build an access road onto the lake ( there is machinery nearby to do this ) , however the surface to race on is still too wet to use . Sorry to all those that have put in all the effort .
Don Noble
-
Well DR., the BEER to treat the sniffles is probably the best medicine for now but be sure to stand on the inside and pee on the outside.
It looks like a wet year for everybody.
-
......and so our thoughts turn to 2008 and the questions are asked
- will Don be taking a new V8 powered shopping trolley?
- will the Shaguar be making it's debut alongside the bellytank of brothers Goggle, Hedgash and Grump?
- is Australia's big drought really coming to an end and will the rains come to Brisbane / Sydney / Melbourne?
- Will any of our American cousins risk it??
Lynchy :mrgreen:
-
Thanks Jack,
a few beers indeed. It is only 1.18pm and quite a few have slipped away.
The best description I guess is losing a grand final in the closing minutes. What could have been, but there is always next year.
We have been in contact with others who have left earlier and still on the road (There is no contact on the Lake). They have travelled thousands of kilometres to hear the news. One, travelling with his father in law, turned back last year due to the early report of flooding.What must he be thinking now? Do I go on? Or do I turn back? Our engine man Colonel Grump (aka Graham Hadlee) who also scrutineers the bikes would be there now with his father...
One crew, (Pete Quick) are thinking of going to Uluru (Ayres Rock) and camp and dwell... These are serious distanceswe are talking! Australiais just under the size of the U.S!
We are in Sunshine. A town named after the Sunshine Wheat Harvester manufacturer who has fame for helping introduce better working conditions in Australia.
It is raining.
I have informed the good lady Hedgash to stop packing the truck, she too is shocked. Now she has to put up with another year of rookie building.
What really irks me is the car was ready. A few minor glitches to be fixed on the salt but we were there.
I guess I should be writing on our build site but here is where the thread is.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm..........
My beer is empty, must go.
Thanks all.
Reverend Hedgash.
-
DLRA FOLKS.............I am sorry, sorry for all of you.
I certainly understand. Disappointment is the same on any continent.
I have made it to the salt on a Saturday night with the meet to start on Sunday and the rains started. The event was rained out. I only traveled 900 miles but the anticipation is the same. Anticipation builds with time, not distance. We have had seasons where we knew before the meet that it wouldn't happen. It's all a heart break. One broken heart is as bad as another.
Your drive home is just more dust and dirt roads than ours.
A spilled beer is the same here or over there. Be a pal.Give your buddy the straw and let him suck it up off the floor.
If the credit card can stand it, COME ON OVER. We may have a dry one and if we don't we'll give you a straw.
FREUD
-
I just arrived back home ,at least I was informed before I arrived at the lake , My material losses were small compaired to many and especially our US visitors : :cry:.
Freud is correct dissapointment is universal ,but as we say there is always next year ,but right now that sounds a little hollow ,anyone got a fresh credit card they are not using :-P
Gary
-
It?s strange, I?m not involved at all but I feel this overwhelming sadness reading the posts above. It?s a sharp contrast to the excitement I felt reading everyone?s plans and preparations for the event. Best wishes to all who have been so disappointed. However, I sense while disappointed you are not discouraged.
John
-
I?m not involved at all but I feel this overwhelming sadness reading the posts above
The best description I guess is losing a grand final in the closing minutes. What could have been, but there is always next year.
Another apt description from the DLRA forum is that it feels as though Christmas got cancelled on Christmas Eve. There are a lot of disappointed racers in Australia at the moment...
-
Imagine the grief that will be expressed by the "Salt Flats Widows" that have already departed on their adventure only to return and find hubby already home and not in a good mood. :oops:
-
Is there any chance that we can have a "Down Under" guest banquet at Wendover this year? From the money saved by the rainout, maybe you can find airfare and come visit us this year.
Just let us know early enough so we can arrange a proper celebration.
Jon Amo has the funnel and hose for the beer guzzling contest at the "bend in the road" site.
FREUD
-
"Salt Talks"
This year dedicated to the "Drinking Laughing Racers of Australia"
-
The Ausie's will win the beer drinking contest hands down, they were weened on Fosters Ale.
:-D :roll:
-
they were weened on Fosters Ale
Fosters is not consumed by most Aussies - it is exported for a reason.... :-D
-
after 6233k,(3874 miles), and 73 hours in the drivers seat, i finally arrived home last night (tuesday), stuffed!!.. recieved the news that it was cancelled :-o 50k from the lake on saturday morning,, kept going, had a look and a walk on the salt, cool drink at the canteen, then back into the van and head for home, seeya all at bonneville this year and at lake g next year :-)
-
they were weened on Fosters Ale
Fosters is not consumed by most Aussies - it is exported for a reason.... :-D
wasn't that the stuff that was sent to lab & results came back-- Dear sir your horse has diabetes..
-
It seems to me that it was 1968 that Speed Week rained out. Then the first "delayed" meet was scheduled for October. I know it's a long dusty drive in Australia but if your wives want you out of the house bad enough, they may schedule a May Meet for you.
FREUD
-
:-D
-
AS AT 10/02/2008 THE SPEED TRIALS HAVE BEEN POSTPONED! After an inspection of Lake Gairdner by representatives of the DLRA and Rangers from the South Australian Department of Environment and Heritage, on Friday 7th February 2008 and again on Saturday 8th February 2008. It has been decided to indefinitely postpone the 2008 DLRA Speed Week.
This decision has not been taken lightly, and in consideration of the wasted travels made by many competitors last year it was deemed appropriate to make a decision at this time. It is understood that there are some international vehicles in transit now and their departure was guided by the best information available at that time.
Using GPS an inspection of the track surface was undertaken at each mile mark, the salt was soft enough for a large screwdriver to be pushed in by hand. Where vehicles had driven over the salt, the depression left by the tyres immediately filled with water. On the Friday a DEH 4WD got bogged at the northern end of the course, fortunately they had a satellite phone and were able to contact DLRA members who brought out the necessary equipment to effect a difficult recovery.It should be noted at the inspection at the lake in December 2007 by DLRA members even thought there was surface water, it took up to 5 blows of a mallet to drive a sharpened spike on 25mm into the salt.
Several teams are still planning on going out to the Lake around the 3rd March 2008, another inspection of the lake and track surface will take place at that time. It is not anticipated that the surface will be suitable at this time, so further inspections are planned of later in the year.
The issue of cancellation or postponement was discussed by approx 70 members at a meeting in Melbourne on 10/02/2008. There was overwhelming support to conduct a meeting later in the year if conditions were favorable. There are a number of other considerations to be taken into account for another date including the Newtons giving their approval, fire and safety crews availability, surveyors being able to mark the track at short notice and many, many other details.
The Test and Tune day at Mangalore was considered by all to be very successful and gave a lot of new vehicles the opportunity for a shakedown, saving valuable time and expense. There will be another Test and Tune day at Mangalore, date to be announced, Queensland are also looking for a venue.
There will be further announcements as and when inspections of the lake take place. Any news will be posted on this page, placed on the DLRA Forum and distributed via the mailing list.Keep the shiny side up! DLRA WebMaster ,-._|\ Dry Lakes Racers Australia / Oz \ PO Box 349 Castlemaine VIC Australia 3450 \_,--._/ P: 03 5472 4629 v F: 03 5472 4370 E: drylakesracersau@hotmail.com W: http://www.dlra.org.au