Advice on soft salt

[wobblywalrus]

Any advice about riding on the funky salt we are seeing this year?  Tire pressure?  Suspension setup?  How to ride?  etc.

[makr]

Good topic. I have been pondering this a bunch the last couple of days I was out there last Saturday and Sunday.

I am not a professional saltoligist, but this is what I saw/felt; Driving from the end of the road to pits the salt is so much better then it was last year. Way less of those huge mushy spots and no rivers and lake. It didn't spray as much driving through it. The weird part is it sticks like glue. Seems to have a top layer that isn't part of the base. I didn't ride the course so I cant speak to that, but talking to racers it seems it is the same on course. There were certainly lots of spins.

The part that worries me a tiny bit is how chewed up our course will be after speed week because it is soft. One redeeming thought is there were lots of motorcycle records set at Speed week. Seems the cars struggled more. Except for the Poteet&Main streamliner hauled balls, so we may find out who has a well set up chassis out of our group.

I will ask what the procedure is for prepping the course between speed week and us, and if there are any thoughts about what we will face. BRB.

[makr]

Woah woah. Lets make this orderly. Not everyone at the same time.


So the BUB team preps the salt. Maybe we can get word from them in a few days. I'm sure they were out there this weekend. If not I may have word from the USFRA camp in a few.

[Pippi]

Our tracks run in different locations than SCTA.... we will keep you posted. I head out on Wednesday. -Linnea

[salt]

The salt on the courses got better every day during Speedweek - if it stays reasonably dry, you guys should all have a blast!
Willi

[wobblywalrus]

This is what I learned from racing in the land of pointy plants.  We rode over sand washes, gravel fans, and all sorts of other unstable stuff.  It might apply to the salt.  First, keep loose in the shoulders and arms, keep the head and shoulders level, look far ahead, grip the bike with the knees, and hold the bars lightly and let the bike find its way.

Sleeping late and not showing up at the rider's meetings was one of my bad habits.  I went to one when we raced near Randsburg, I think it was.  Blah, blah, etc.  The meeting was boring.  Then they talked about the abandoned, unmarked open mine shafts near the course and said to stay on the trail when going through some valley.  Since then I go to the rider's meetings and pay attention.  Usually they talk about the course and give advice.   

[makr]

Good points. Drivers meeting will need to be a must do.

I am too busy watching the temp gauge to watch where I am going. I hope they at least mark any open mine holes so I don't fall in.

[nrhs sales]

Every year I have heard car racers complaining how bad the salt was at Speedweek only to see excellent salt at Bubs a week or so later.  I do know that part of the reason for this is Dennis Manning. The man just flat out knows how to prep a track for motorcycles!!  Have you ever seen a water truck wetting down the track at an SCTA event?

Also a lot of those cars that were spinning at Speedweek have front wheels that do not ride in the same track as the rear wheels. This can be really a handful to drive if the track is rutted.

I say lets just wait and see how the track looks and feels on Sunday before we start panicking.   

[makr]

Who's panicked?

[maj]

Good comments from Wobblywalrus
i would add to the loose grip with don't tighten the damper too much,
unlike a road course we do not have enough grip to get a violent front end response and too tight just slows down your steering input   

[Glen]

It's to bad the super salt wheel packer made by Rick Vesco wasn't maintained and used to pack the soft salt. It worked for years, Ask Terry Nish.

[Uncle Jimbo]

Knowing that Denis is already out there prepping the track lets us sleep well, and concentrate on the tasks at hand. Being - go fast - faster, and stopping safe.
I would also emphasize the importance of attending the drivers meetings - What better way is there to hear what's up with the track and the event.
Drivers/Riders meetings attendance should be mandatory in my book.   

Be safe, go fast, have fun, stop safe.   
See yaz in a couple days.
Jimbo

[Racerwrtr]

Any word on smoke or haze from the fires out west?

[Seldom Seen Slim]

There were obvious smoke columns from the fires south of SLC during SpeedWeek - but the visibility was pretty good - especially compared to 2012.  Back then there were many times when the mountains to the south and east of Bville weren't visible.  I don't know how it is now - one week later - but I'll guess that the haze isn't too bad now.  Good luck on that -- but it does make for kinda pretty sunrises and sunsets.

[wobblywalrus]

Are there advantages or disadvantages to filling the gas tank full as per handling and weight distribution?