Author Topic: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be  (Read 59855 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline SPARKY

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 6908
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #45 on: November 25, 2017, 12:06:57 PM »
the net keeps them from getting to the flat land-- beyond to me means past

that was why I suggested barriers they funnel toward the net you go that deep in --you either stop or hit the net
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

We are going to explore the racing N words NITROUS & NITRO!

Offline SPARKY

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 6908
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #46 on: November 25, 2017, 12:13:37 PM »
visibility either blinded by sunlight as it hits windshield or dust in cars or "B'ville tucks"  ie not looking where you are going on bikes

 awareness--some folks are easily distracted by concentrating on other things that are happening during a run like watching the tach, oil pressure temp gauge -- ect ect instead of where they are on the track.
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

We are going to explore the racing N words NITROUS & NITRO!

Offline jl222

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2955
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #47 on: November 25, 2017, 01:04:43 PM »

 Barriers? what kind of barriers?

Offline jl222

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2955
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #48 on: November 26, 2017, 12:42:24 PM »
the net keeps them from getting to the flat land-- beyond to me means past

that was why I suggested barriers they funnel toward the net you go that deep in --you either stop or hit the net

  Barriers? What kind of barriers Sparky?

             JL222

Offline SPARKY

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 6908
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #49 on: November 26, 2017, 01:56:39 PM »

they could be nets or concrete ---something to funnel the vech. to the arresting net .. I know they would be an extreme PITA---but would be better than not getting to run
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

We are going to explore the racing N words NITROUS & NITRO!

Offline jl222

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2955
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #50 on: November 26, 2017, 02:04:19 PM »

they could be nets or concrete ---something to funnel the vech. to the arresting net .. I know they would be an extreme PITA---but would be better than not getting to run

  And what would happen to a rider at speed going into a net?

  How long to set this up? Get real.

                    JL222

Offline BurtonBrown

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 166
    • Victory Motorsports
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #51 on: November 27, 2017, 10:28:12 PM »
So as a guy with only my Rookie pass at Elmo under my belt (Thanks George Callaway) I'm just as concerned as everyone else on this forum about the possibility of the BLM potentially pulling the plug on racing at Elmo if there are further run/s out the back door.
If everything goes right I plan to race as many races as possible at Elmo next year. I have raced some sort of motorsports my whole life. I've Stock car raced for about 20 years and now that I'm "Older" the last 18 or so I've landspeed raced at Bonneville, both ECTA tracks and Loring Maine with some success.
The last thing I want to hear (or any other racer wants to hear) is the possibility of Elmo getting shut down because someone wasn't able to shut down.

Personally I don't believe taking points away, banning someone for a year or life depending what the situation may be helps the rest of the racers if this is an event that could take away the racing for everyone... forever at Elmo. Yes if there are spectators out there running around at the shutdown end and someone besides a racer gets hurt or even a close call, I would think that would be enough to end the racing as we know it.
Yes running from East to West will probably create challenges nobody has even thought of yet but if that is what makes a viable option for years to come then I think its worth trying at least for the first event or first year.
Yes some sort of "Net" may work although if I was on a bike I'm not sure I would be too excited about it. But all of the options are really for an "Emergency situation?"
I don't know if this is possible but what if we funnel the "runaway" car or bike toward a wide "Gate" that could be opened during racing  leading to George Callaways land? And for an easy explanation, having it like a runaway truck ramp to really stop the vehicle. This doesn't change the lakebed. I know its probably not a perfect idea (Considering I didn't mention it to George yet) but as a guy who would like to spend some time running at Elmo trying to get a dirty two jacket its what I came up with. This landracing stuff does that to a person..... they stay up at night and stare at the ceiling thinking of solutions.
Thoughts?
"Live every day like its your last....some day it will be"

Offline SPARKY

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 6908
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #52 on: November 28, 2017, 10:21:47 AM »
JL---don't know but one thing---he would not go out the back door---- that is the objective here---no one out the back door
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

We are going to explore the racing N words NITROUS & NITRO!

Offline jl222

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2955
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #53 on: November 28, 2017, 11:10:03 AM »
JL---don't know but one thing---he would not go out the back door---- that is the objective here---no one out the back door

  You would rather see him in the hospital?  Meet shut down, SCTA sued.

  Like I said get real.

  Hard to take.

                    JL222
« Last Edit: November 28, 2017, 11:12:27 AM by jl222 »

Offline TheBaron

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 122
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #54 on: November 28, 2017, 08:02:31 PM »
I've raced my motorcycles on tracks where there were steel Armco rails, pea gravel pits, trees, barbwire and then trees, and off a cliff into a river at the end of the course.

I'd willing take  going into a net vs any of those options....

For El Mo, going East to West into the pucker bushes and fence wire is probably the easiest option to get up and running.

I think any racer with a functioning brain realizes that there are serious consequences  should one run out of track when stopping. It comes with the territory.

Smitty

Offline Glen

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 7024
  • SCTA/BNI timer 1983 to 2004, Retired,. Crew on Tur
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #55 on: November 28, 2017, 08:19:44 PM »
A net with two chutes has been used at Bonneville. This system was designed by Don and Rick Vesco. I remember it being used some years ago. As far as I know it's still in SCTA hands. It has been tested and stopped the vehicles. I think there is a little more that the inspectors should such as make every vehicle pop their chutes in inspection. It's in the rules. A chute is a critical part of every vehicle and should be mandentory every run period.
Glen
Crew on Turbinator II

South West, Utah

Offline Milwaukee Midget

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 6662
    • Milwaukee Midget Racing
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #56 on: November 28, 2017, 09:47:24 PM »
Glen, how wide is this net?

I take it that it is intended to prevent vehicles from crossing I-80, and was likely on the south side?

"Problems are almost always a sign of progress."  Harold Bettes
Well, I guess we're making a LOT of progress . . .  :roll:

Offline SPARKY

  • Global Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 6908
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #57 on: November 28, 2017, 11:19:41 PM »
JL   I think I am trying to deal with reality---I want to keep racing--- my head is not stuck in the lake beds

When someone starts their run they know that they are going to stop short of going out of bounds---they get to control how---you the driver/rider can be  (not can be---ARE) the one who determines how and where to stop-what's wrong with that..

POST SCRIPT----  11/30/2017 

The Driver/Rider is the one who is responsible for not going out of bounds if he fails his responsibility --- hitting the net just helps him out with his responsibility.  They assume that responsibility and consequences if they or their car or bike fails to perform!!!!! HARD  maybe but this is high speed racing on public land.
« Last Edit: November 30, 2017, 10:22:35 AM by SPARKY »
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

We are going to explore the racing N words NITROUS & NITRO!

Offline will6er

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 173
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #58 on: November 28, 2017, 11:37:11 PM »
Sparky-

What you say is the bottom line.

If a "civilian" gets hurt at El Mirage, BLM can say, "No more racing here - and by the way , no racing on any BLM land."

THEIR problems are SOLVED

Will Willis
#6302

Offline Seldom Seen Slim

  • Nancy and me and the pit bike
  • Administrator
  • Hero Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 13158
  • Nancy -- 201.913 mph record on a production ZX15!
    • Nancy and Jon's personal website.
Re: El Mirage – To Be or Not To Be
« Reply #59 on: November 29, 2017, 07:21:06 AM »
I saw the net at the Shootout a while back - don't have a picture right handy.  It was maybe 50' wide and was installed on the AWAY FROM THE FREEWAY SIDE at the south (Freeway) end of the track (of course).

A big net - maybe 4' high - suspended from poles on either end, with a chute on each end bagged and ready to deploy when the net is hit.  The chutes are pulled open and bloom as the vehicle moves the net away from the poles (and the bags).  The vehicle would stop in the muck that's between the net and the truck stop.
Jon E. Wennerberg
 a/k/a Seldom Seen Slim
 Skandia, Michigan
 (that's way up north)
2 Club member x2
Owner of landracing.com