What does the future hold?

[7800ebs]

http://www.savethesalt.org/current-events.html

http://www.savethesalt.org/bsf-measurements.html

http://www.landspeedproductions.biz/

[RogerL]

I would like to encourage those of you that want to learn more about the circumstances regarding the BSF condition to go to the Alliances website, www.save-the-salt.org. Click on the documents page and start reading the referenced docs. We will be posting more as time goes on so you might want to check back occasionally.

I also suggest you take a look at the ‘take action” page. There you will find a draft letter/email/phone call talking points document to be used in expressing concern for the BSF to your elected representatives. We have been in regular contact with the Governors offices of Utah and Nevada, Senators, Representatives and a number of Utah state officials. It is part of our strategy to get the support of these elected leaders.  You can help by taking action.

The website is still in development and will continue to evolve over the next few months. We expect to post regular up dates, add documents, post pictures and videos and suggest future action where the racers and other stakeholders can help.

The intent website to be a resource for anyone wanting more information on the BSF without having to go to multiple sites and libraries. Also on the website is identification of the Alliance leadership and partners. It ain’t perfect, but it’s our best shot it improving the knowledge base and transparency.

[Glen]

Roger,I like your words and agree that everyone give the STS program a chance to work this out with with all parties.It won't happen over night but he steps are going in the right direction.
Glen

[Akula]

I have always wondered how much it would cost to build a 10 mile stretch of concrete track say 14 feet wide? Anybody in the road building business.

I just pulled these numbers from a 2012 study of highway costs in Arkansas (I only used it because it was the first comprehensive highway-cost study to pop up). Assuming that it would probably be necessary for safety reasons to have, say, at least a 40-foot-wide track, you might look at a four-lane highway with a painted median (with each lane about 11 feet wide) for your model. In Arkansas, building this kind of highway in a rural setting would cost approximately $4,725,000 per mile (I'm not sure if that includes the land or not, but I'm assuming not). Now, a remote desert track might be cheaper than that, but using those numbers, a 10-mile, 44-foot wide track would cost about $50 million, PLUS (I would assume) another $25 million (or maybe less, who knows) for a parallel return road. Then, of course, you would have the extra costs of building parking and pit areas, staging and shutdown areas, and possibly access roads, which would probably take the whole thing up to $100 million.  

Believe me, I've often thought how awesome it would be for someone or some entity to build such a facility, but the above costs seem depressingly realistic to me (and no, I don't work in the road-building business)...

Gary

You wouldn't need 10 miles. You could easily get by with 5 or 6 miles. Maybe less.

A push/run up area of a 1 mile (if not less), 3 miles of track, 1-2 miles of run down (you could use hard packed dirt at the end for cost savings). The width of an air strip would be more than enough if the track was surrounded by desert or dry lake.

Street legal cars with very little streamlining are nearing 300mph from a dead stop in one mile events on air strips. Bonneville spec cars and especially Streamliners on 3 miles of concrete track with a running start would be going stupid fast exiting the timed course.

That $4 million number is way off what a flat track would cost per mile. That $4 Million number includes everything a public highway would need. Clearing the land, drainage, bridges, overpasses, ramps etc... I would think the number would be more in the $1-2 Million dollar per mile range for this kind of construction. Concrete or paved roads would be overkill if it was built in the desert. Just keep the packed dirt watered down on the access roads to cut down on the dust.

Everything could be brought in for the events. Food trucks, portable bathrooms etc... All you really need is the surface itself.

[55chevr]

By most accounts there are less than a 1000 land speed racers.  Not feasible to consider financing a paved from scratch venue with that amount of participants.  Bonneville Salt Flats is the only realistic option for 5 mile course.

Joe

[crawford]

Took a drive out to lands end yesterday in my red beast and was thinking about the conditions of the track for next year. I have watched the salt flats my whole life, and folks, I'm not that young anymore, it pains me to think some of the racers feel that racing at the Salt Flats are over. I'm no scientist and have only the fact that I have been on, around, and felt the Salt Flats my whole life, and not only the track section, the whole area, which by the way as Trump would say is "HUGE". But with that said I just feel the salt "healing", that sounds strange but with the water on it now and the color it looks better than two years ago, now mind me it could still take up to two years for it to get back to that near perfect surface, but its coming, the hard core LSR will understand, but those of you that give up hope early, well you must not of had the SALT FEVER that bad anyway. Just a Desert Rat Mike Crawford Wendover native.

[Speed Limit 1000]

Thanks for the update Mike. Us old salts will never give up hope. We have seen the good, the bad, and the ugly

[SPARKY]

I am some what of a NuB  but I am still working on my car dreaming about a new heads for it!!

[Peter Jack]

Took a drive out to lands end yesterday in my red beast and was thinking about the conditions of the track for next year. I have watched the salt flats my whole life, and folks, I'm not that young anymore, it pains me to think some of the racers feel that racing at the Salt Flats are over. I'm no scientist and have only the fact that I have been on, around, and felt the Salt Flats my whole life, and not only the track section, the whole area, which by the way as Trump would say is "HUGE". But with that said I just feel the salt "healing", that sounds strange but with the water on it now and the color it looks better than two years ago, now mind me it could still take up to two years for it to get back to that near perfect surface, but its coming, the hard core LSR will understand, but those of you that give up hope early, well you must not of had the SALT FEVER that bad anyway. Just a Desert Rat Mike Crawford Wendover native.

Thanks Mike. The experience of a lifetime is often more accurate than all the scientific theories developed by those who may have only been there occasionally. we'll continue to have faith.

At the same time I think this wakeup call may have been a good thing in that it may help stave off a future crisis.

Pete

[gnomenator]

My thanks to you also,Mike! I must admit, I'm relatively new to LSR ('07)but it has always been a dream. The events of this year(NON-events) took a toll on my enthusiasm and I spent the last few weeks contemplating 'moth-balling' my ride for the forseeable future, but you have re-invigorated my spirit. So much of the chatter lately has been so negative, it has been hard to stay positive, but that changed today! Again, thanks for some positive waves! BSF forever!!!

[mtkawboy]

Did I read that right about White Sands ? They built a 13 mile long, 1 mile wide strip and used it once to land the Sapce Shuttle "Columbia" !!!!! Your tax dollars at work, lets just cut Social security again.

[gas pumper]

Thank You Mayor Mike.

[nrhs sales]

I heard from a very reliable source yesterday who does a lot of work with the AMA and off road access groups that SEMA is getting very involved in the issue and we have the right people now working on this.   They will be doing a lot of work at the SEMA show in Vegas regarding what to do next.

[mergatroyd]

Ah, this is probably the wrong thread, but as of 1985...
http://www.bobnorwood.com/Ferrari%203%20Liter%20power%20on%20the%20salt.html
They were blaming Riley for the bad salt.

On a side note,
Anybody here know the real deal on Bob Norwood?  Seems an interesting character... the website is a bit grandiose in tone.

[dw230]

Bob Norwood is a Ferrari guru. He does restorations, performance upgrades even engine swaps(BBC into a coupe). Nice guy, deals with high end customers. Bob and his customers have been to the salt many times. I have seen plans for a Ferrari Funny Car and new plans for a very Modified Sports class car for the salt.

DW