On the scene at World of Speed 2011

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Well, here we are - all checked in at the motel and the trailer is at the pits and the show starts tomorrow.  First things first:

Here's my usual photo or two of the salt conditions, shown by the salt accumulation on the tires of the truck and trailer from driving from Land's End to the pits:





Not bad, hey?  It's hard and dry, doesn't stick to your shoes (nor to your fingers, unlike some chocolate candies).  The salt is still bumpy for about the first mile from Land's End toward the pits, and then smooths out as it did at SpeedWeek.

Tourists will never learn:



And there's this one, a little closer to the road:



The speed limit on the pavement is still 45, folks -- don't contribute needlessly to the Counties' coffers.

The USFRA folks are using the same setup that SCTA did for SpeedWeek - to the point that the pits are in the same location.  Heck, impound is in the same place so much that the corner of it is within a few feet of the corner markings form SW.  Our trailer is pitted within a few feet of where we were last month (I set a point in the GPS).

And the salt looks great.  Here's what a cloud over Wendover looks like from the salt:



But it's not rain, more like dust.  I think.   We saw rain when we stopped in Tooele for a bite to eat - and we got all of about one teaspoon of water sprinkled on the windshield.  No rain, 80 degrees, winds about 6-12 MPH from the east (at the pits).

Let's use this thread for the event, folks.  I'll go through and merge others as it becomes worthwhile, but I won't try to close something that really oughta be by itself.

Let's go RACING !!!

[Freud]

Great report Jon and Nancy.

Makes me wanta run away from home.

The Granite Falls HS team will think it's always this way.

FREUD

[RayTheRat]

See ya tomorrow!

[Wester]

Strange weather pattern for Utah.  Our rain yesterday came from the EAST.  Almost NEVER happens.  The forecast looks like great racing weather.

[Glen]

we will be waiting for the daily updates
 

[Dean Los Angeles]

we will be waiting for the daily updates

We will be waiting for the instant audio feed!! 

[joea]

many of us wont be able to listen to live audio feeds while at work while they
are running...

but can occassionally check in for updates....

ANY WILL BE appreciated...

Joe

[maj]

Looks great SSS, See everyone there tomorrow..FINALLY have a running bike
Will try and do our bit to help update     

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Well, here's the latest:

No running today -- it's inspections-only.  But I got a bunch of photos of some of the vehicles and folks.  To summarise what else is going on -- the guy that'll be running the audio streaming is here and working on it as of about six hours ago.  He's already testing - but we won't have anything to feed 'til AM 1610 and the CB are on the air.  But we're getting things ready.

Drivers meeting is 8AM Bonneville time tomorrow, followed by the usual course ride -- and racing around 10 or so.

There were not all that many vehicles going through inspection today.  Steady traffic - but no huge long lines, 'specially in the bike section of inspection.  I worked with Wa for the first few hours -- he did most of the bikes.  Then Tom Evans arrived and took over for me -- whew, I must have looked at darn near 7 or 8 bikes!  Wow, what a day  !  Cars -- there were two or three lines going non-stop, but I don't think anyone had a wait of more than an hour or so.  Nice, nice.  And conditions -- gentle breezes and mostly sunny skies, so there wasn't much discomfort while waiting.  The breeze picked up towards 4OPM -- picked up to about 15-20 mph tailwind.  Dang  -- why couldn't we have been running?

Okay, photos:






By the way, remember that there are 130 Club and 150 Club vehicles here, too:









And some aren't even race cars -- just worth noting:











Mark DeLuca, filling out paperwork for the Guppy Bike (above and below, and on the poster and t-shirt and even the event button:





The Save The Salt trailer is here -- selling stuff and working for us to have a great racing venue forever:



This isn't SpeedWeek for rat rods, but here's a nice car. . .





I'll post this and then go -- to the USFRA worker picnic in a little while.  I've got some more photos for later on.  Remember -- racing will start around 10 tomorrow morning, or thereabouts.  And about the audio -- hey, I'll find out and let you kow how to get it on your 'puter -- or your office PA system  .

[Glen]

Thanks Jon, looks like a good turn out.

[Freud]

Barrett, are you crewing with Vesco?

FREUD

[wheelrdealer]

Thanks Jon:

I will sit here on the east coast jealous. While the 2100 is in pieces trying to recover fro my August trip to the salt. Keep the updates coming.

thanks,

Bill

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Back from a dandy thank you meal.  Mike Crawford, Wendover's mayor, makes sure the USFRA (or, at SpeedWeek, the SCTA) volunteer workers get thanked by the city for all that the racers bring to the town.  Not bad food, either -- not just hamburgers and hot dogs and chicken breasts and corn on the cob and salads and so on --  but even shrimp linguine cooked to order while you wait!  Decent.  And -- Mike offered some mock-ups of the billboard that's been proposed for the proposed Bonneville Racing Museum site just off the northwest side of Wendover Boulevard at the north end of town (kind of across the street from CarQuest).  Mike's got the 5-acre plot of land arranged to be secured and is working on a tourism grant to fund it.  Here's my funky available-light shot of the art from the sign company (remember, it's a layout - not necessarily the final thing):



If you look at the site today you'll see a billboard that's blank on one side and has an ad for the Red Garter on the other.  You can probably recognize the sign's location from that description.  Anyway, Mike and the rest of the city will know about the deal's progress in the next week, he says.  Thanks very much for that, Mr. Mayor.

Back to more photos from inspection day, including cars, bikes, and other stuff in the pits.  I didn't take a photo of the Joint Venture truck - but it has gone through inspection and will be running.  So will Joe Ledford's roadster and a bunch of other vehicles I didn't photograph.  Maybe tomorrow, maybe Ray will get 'em.





Skip Higginbotham's car is loo-oo-oo-nn-n-gg -- so here's most of it:



Here's some more:



GSXR-1000, right?



But a Gixxer 100 with twin turbos (there's one on each side of the rear):







Yes, of course the Little Giant Vesco car is here:







And the BYU electric car is here:



A Velocette from Australia!



A couple of B-King Suzukis (I think that's what they're called -- sorta a street bike with the basic same engine as in a 'Busa, but tuned different, right?):





That's all I've got for now.  C U tomorrow.  G'night...

[Avanti Kid]

Thanks Jon, for those photos, it helps us here at home fell like we are at Bonneville! 

[JonAmo]

That 1000cc Suzuki is Lee Burkey's bike. Haven't seen Lee in a couple of years out there. The bike is intersting because its running mechanical fuel injection - or was a few years back. When Lee started that project Don Vesco teased him until he put two turbos on it. Pretty nifty bike and rider who is in his 70's. Once of the nicest guys out there, been a real pleasure knowing him for many years.