Author Topic: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions  (Read 33133 times)

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Offline CGoodson

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World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« on: August 16, 2019, 10:27:51 AM »
Will Word of Speed be held in Sept due to salt conditions?
Corey Goodson
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1000 Bockscar Lakester H/BFL Red Hat record 233.119
Currently Building #1177 G&S Roadster H/BFR

Offline gowing

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #1 on: August 16, 2019, 11:20:54 AM »
So.... I keep hearing that the salt conditions are less than ideal this year.
Exactly what does that mean?  thin, soggy, bumpy. soft ?

What would help the situation this year?
more moisture? dry and hot? wind?  track grooming?

What about BMST?
running the lightweight bikes obviously tears up the track less than cars,
can the salt be groomed and maintained to keep the track nice for bikes, or is the damage already done?

Offline USFRAMONTE

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #2 on: August 16, 2019, 11:21:42 AM »
We will be going out to the salt in the near future to assess conditions and see what, if anything, can be done to make decent courses.
We will be honest in our assessment and update everyone as we go along.

Offline USFRAMONTE

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2019, 11:36:11 AM »
There are several factors that have contributed to salt conditions this year.
It has been a record year for rain and snowfall in Utah and Nevada. So much so that Intrepid has not been able to process potash because their ponds and ditches are full of fresh water. They have not pumped anything from the underground aquifer. This has left the flats wetter than normal.
Plus mother nature does things we don't understand.
Both the timing of, and the methods for grooming, play an important role in how the courses turn out.
We will do our best to get useable courses and will keep posting updates.

Offline RogerL

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2019, 12:04:49 PM »
Thanks Monte. Look forward to an update after you guys get a look at the salt.

Offline CGoodson

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2019, 12:30:53 PM »
Thank you Monte! Thank you for keeping us updated!  :cheers:
Corey Goodson
cgr138@gmail.com
hptt:www.facebook.com/corey.goodson
1000 Bockscar Lakester H/BFL Red Hat record 233.119
Currently Building #1177 G&S Roadster H/BFR

Offline gnomenator

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #6 on: August 16, 2019, 02:07:06 PM »
Thanks Monte! As always, you have your finger on it! Everyone who has been a part of USFRA knows that you guys do your upmost best to see we have the best time possible under all conditions. NOT always the easiest thing to do ! So prayers to the Gods of Salt, and with any luck we'll see you all in Sept ! Thanks again, Ed & Leona #1011  :cheers:

Offline deepindebt

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #7 on: August 16, 2019, 09:36:01 PM »
Thanks and look forward to the updates,we all know that the rain was not the reason the salt was the way it was during SW,thanks for your honesty!!!I met a guy on our way out of town at the gas station,he was filling up his city of wendover garbage truck,we chit chatted and it turns out he is the water guy for the town also,and he said the exact same thing,it’s all ground water,period.It was never going to be a good course but he feels that if the next few weeks are hot that September may be all good.I wish I got his phone #
« Last Edit: August 16, 2019, 09:56:43 PM by deepindebt »
327,B/GR

Offline Doc B.

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #8 on: August 17, 2019, 06:00:42 PM »
The BMST crew is headed out tomorrow from Washington, and they have said they will post info about the salt condition on their facebook page as they begin to groom the course for next week. Word from the advance guard is that it continues to dry out.

Offline jimwebb

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #9 on: August 21, 2019, 10:17:04 AM »
I don't do the Facebook thing. If anyone reads an update to the salt conditions for WOS, please post here! We're trying to decide if it is worth the 3,500 mile trip if there isn't 5 good miles to race on. Thank you all!
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Offline kiwi belly tank

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #10 on: August 21, 2019, 01:46:05 PM »
" QUOTE we all know that the rain was not the reason the salt was the way it was during SW"

That's incorrect.
 The consistent rain through spring & summer IS the reasons the salt was garbage at SW this year. The ground is saturated & unable to absorb any more moisture. Add to that the lack of salt crust & just in case anybody still doesn't understand where that salt went, it migrated via slurry mining to the other side of the freeway. The excessive ground water content now means there is a lower salt saturation level making it uneconomical for the mining company to turn on their pumps & that resulted in the water table being higher than usual.
 The potash is a large part of the binder in the salt that allows it to dry hard & like I've been saying for the last few years, when the profit margin goes away, so does the mining company & I believe that will be the lesser of two evils.
 Compare the last three years & look at what we had to run on.
 This year it rained so much through spring & summer even the deserts were green & the mild temperatures reduced evaporation. So you know what we ended up with.
 Last year we had a dry spring & summer but it was unusually calm with very light winds. The result was a good smooth surface & obviously still thin but it stood up pretty good because there were a lot less race cars running on it than usual. Remember, Saturday afternoon looked more like a typical Tuesday. The reason it was smooth is the lack of wind. Wind blows the water around which creates pools & those pools become the divots in the surface now that the crust is so thin & that's what we had back in 16 & 17.
 Back in the years when there was still good salt crust thickness, that wind action would create what we called "crunchies". They'ed run the drag over it knocking the crunchies off & we'd go racing. As the salt crust got thinner, knocking the crunchies off would expose the dirt below & the crust would start to come apart as we ran on it. Move up to where we are now & that wind action is creating the divots in the dirt & filling them with what's left of the salt crust as it solidifies.
 I look forward to the time when their profit margin eats it's self.
  Sid.
 
ps I don't know how those two crutchy things got in there but I can't edit them out.
   
« Last Edit: August 21, 2019, 01:53:11 PM by kiwi belly tank »

Offline gowing

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #11 on: August 21, 2019, 02:13:06 PM »
I think that it goes without saying that profit is the reason that Intrepid does what it does.

here's a suggestion.....
Why don't a few (or a bunch) of the "high net worth" racers pony up, buy Intrepid and operate
it in the best interest of the salt.
Exercise a bit of Environmental philanthropy if you will.

Sure, Mother Nature will still have a say on the condition of the salt, but controlling the mining
impact would certainly have an effect on the future of quality racing at Bonneville.

« Last Edit: August 21, 2019, 02:50:07 PM by gowing »

Offline Stan Back

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #12 on: August 21, 2019, 04:12:17 PM »
I believe there is an Intrepid Salt Co., too.

Those rail cars leaving daily for years were loaded with something white as I remember.
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Offline Das Bullet

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #13 on: August 21, 2019, 04:29:33 PM »
Yes they sell Salt, this is from their website.

We are headquartered in Denver, Colorado and have operations in Carlsbad, New Mexico, Moab, Utah and Wendover, Utah. Intrepid is the only U.S.-based producer of potash and potassium-related products. We also sell salt, salt brines, magnesium chloride and water. Our products serve the agricultural, animal feed and industrial markets.

Offline USFRAMONTE

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Re: World Of Speed 2019 Salt conditions
« Reply #14 on: August 23, 2019, 04:34:50 PM »
This message is from Dennis Sullivan, president of USFRA.

 A team of people went out to the salt on Wednesday the 21st to
assess course conditions. The salt has dried a great deal and the BMST
crew is working a course next to the Speedweek courses and has been
able to work an area out to the seven mile. with the continued drying
of the salt we feel that when the USFRA starts to work their long
course we will be able to work it to the eighth mile and be able to
move the Speedweek starting line one mile to the north. We will also
have a modified short course with a full three miles of timing. Be
nice to Mother Nature she could change it all.