As we know, rain at the Bonneville Salt Flats shortly before or during Speed Week is not our friend. It looks like this year's
main event there may well be in jeopardy due to this undesired rain.
I'm writing this from California, and it's been about ten years since I attended Speed Week. I wish good luck to all of you, and would like to add that I have met some land speed racers and found them to be wonderful, friendly people. It may be rather obvious that one of the reasons that there isn't much unfriendly competition in land speed racing is that there is no prize money. Instead, people SPEND (a lot of) money to race on the salt (or dry lake bed or airport runway).
Perhaps some businesses relating to this kind of racing make some money, as business intends to do. Land speed racing is
not about making money. It's about the challenges to be overcome in order to break an official (or even one's own personal) record. Typically, the racers are willing -- if not eager -- to help one another, even if it results in someone breaking an existing record established by the person offering the help. I have a lot of respect for this ethic, and I also have a lot of respect for the ingenuity and dedication of the folks who build, tune, repair, and drive/ride the vehicles.
For what it's worth, even knowing the sad history of the declining condition of the salt flats, I do look forward to again attending Bonneville (perhaps later this year or next year) and being excited by the vehicles and the attained speeds. But
it's the people that are most meaningful to me. Again . . . good luck, y'all.
