Newb in need of some advice

[goodgollyjosh]

Well, it looks like I may have made a mistake...

So, last year a co-worker told me about his trip to the Salt Flats for Speed Week. I immediately looked up saltflats.com and saw that test and tune was in July and there was no mention of Speed Week or any other event until the end of the year. I thought this was the same thing so I made a hotel reservation in Wendover, UT back in Sept. 2014 and scheduled some time off work. I also rented a car and made another reservation in New Mexico for a layover night as I am coming from Texas. I'm not running anything just coming with the wife (who is a "car chick") for a look at the flats. Now, my wife was getting all excited about the trip and decided today to do a little research and she tells me that Speed Week is in August according to the California Timing Association website (a different website from the one I used). Well, now I feel like a dumb ass. So, all the rooms are booked solid at this point and it is a little late in the game. What are my options here? Is Test and Tune still worth checking out? Can I just rent an RV and camp on the Flats for Speed Week? Thanks for any advice you guys can provide!

[Dynoroom]

Boy...... you are a newb.    Kidding, we all had to start sometime.

But you do have a bit of a sticky wicket......

1st problem is the salt flats are still wet from recent storms & the Test & Tune may not happen. If it does dry out in time it is not a "spectator event". You could probably get out there but it is a very limited number of cars with only 1 timing light at the 3 mile mark, hence "Test & Tune" so no records, etc.....

Now for speedweek, yes your best bet is to rent an RV as rooms will be difficult to get now. There are 545 pre-entrys for the event this year.

Good Luck, hope your plans work out....

[RichFox]

True the July meet is smaller. But still an interesting show. The rooms are much cheaper during that meet. I am hopeful of dry salt. But Speedweek can and has been rained out also. You might check out World of Speed which is my favorite meet as a competitor. Except for the room availability and cost, I guess the August SpeedWeek is the best spectator show.

[SteveM]

It can be confusing, especially for a newbie.

Part of the confusion stems from the fact that the SCTA (Southern California Timing Association) hosts Speed Week and the World Finals.

The Utah Salt Flats Racing Association hosts the test & tune and the World of Speed.  They are different organizations, but recognize the same records. 

SpeedWeek is the "granddaddy" of all the events, and as a result, hotel rooms are booked solid.

My 2 cents would be to set your sights for World Of Speed.  Hotel rooms should be available, they will be much cheaper than during Speed Week, and you will still have a fantastic time.

If you wait and plan to attend the World Finals, the chances of a rainout are historically much higher than for Speed Week or the World of Speed.

Steve.

[manta22]

Josh;

If you are coming all the way from TX to your first-ever Bonneville event, forget Test-'n-Tune and plan to attend Speed Week for a few days. The Wendover hotel rooms are always booked up solid and far more expensive during this time so an RV or camping at the Bend In The Road or at the Museum Site might be your best bet. Keeping your wife happy will pay great dividends.

Our first time Bonneville trip was great- my wife & I flew to SLC where we had a reservation for a small RV and drove it to Wendover. We stayed at the KOA but these days it is booked up just like the hotels. The nice thing about an RV is that you can drive it out on the salt, park it wherever you like and wander around on foot until you feel like taking a break with some refreshment & AC. Bring old shoes that you will throw away later, lots of water, sunscreen, and BIG hats. A camera is a must.

Early Saturday morning there is a drivers' meeting that you will find interesting; I'd recommend that you attend- it helps you understand the course layout and what is going on. The Pits are a mile long and unless there is a rush to get a car ready, most teams won't mind if you look at the car or talk to the driver or crew. The key thing is not to get in the way. Don't be surprised if someone hands you a wrench and asks you to do something. It is definitely NOT like NASCAR or F1, these racers are there because they enjoy it, not because it is a business.

Enjoy your trip. I'm sure others will have more suggestions for you. You've found the right place-- this forum.

Regards, Neil  Tucson, AZ

[jww36]

Josh,
The other thing worth mentioning is while hotels are already booked for Speedweek for the first few days, by Monday or Tuesday rooms are available as the speed gods are not always favorable.
So if you want to go to Speedweek, call some of the hotels Monday morning.

[Glen]

The home page of this site has all dates listed

[goodgollyjosh]

Thanks for all the advice guys! I will talk it over with the wife and see what we come up with.

[Rocket123]

My two cents: Rent an rv and camp with the rest of us assuming speedweek does happen it should be incredible with the number of cars shooting for 500.

[Stainless1]

Not to worry, the rooms were already booked before you started... we book ours before we leave to go home.  The casinos start taking bookings in Jan or Feb, and charge extra because they can.... oh, everybody charges extra for SpeedWeek, it is the American way, supply and demand.
If you are a camper, there is camping.  You might still find a room, watch this space, rooms become available as folks learn that life has interfered with their plans. 
You will have fun, 
see ya on the salt 

[trimmers]

Instead of trying to stay in Wendover for Speedweek (it's a rip-off), stay in Wells, NV, instead.  It's just 58 freeway miles west of Wendover, so it's less than a hour away.  With rooms at about $40.00, you'll easily save enough to pay for the extra gas you'll use.  I like the Sharon Motel there.  It's not fancy, but clean as a pin. 

[nickleone]

Camp at the bend in the road if the flats are dry.  If rain is in the forecast camp close to the exit  at the bend it gets real slippery in the mud flats.

Nick

[Frankie7799]

It looks like its already been covered for camping but just to clarify thre is no overnight camping on the actual salt. As Manta said, get an Rv and use it as a refuge spot during the day on the salt and then go to the Bend in the Road each night

[Seldom Seen Slim]

For the minor sake of clarifying things -- the Bend in the Road is a 90 degree right turn.  When we say to camp at the bend we mean on the INSIDE of the corner.  There are acres and acres there, and/but that's where the surface turns to sticky gumbo in the wet.

On the OUTSIDE of the bend is the other 270 degrees of pretty much open space and it's much higher and dryer than inside.  If the inside has acres and acres -- the outside has dozens and dozens of acres of area.  There are usually a few "clumps" of racer tents/camps here and there, but there will always be zillions of remote spots, too, if you don't want neighbors.

[Buickguy3]

    I'll see if the map of the Bend in the Road shows up. It has GPS coord.   

          https://www.google.com/maps/place/Bonneville+Salt+Flats,+Utah/@40.7592397,-113.9689528,1538m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x80ac39c47cd112bd:0x4076930f09544f7a!6m1!1e1

    Doug