Name: Mike Meier
Where: Davis, CA
What: Retired materials science/lab manager/teacher
Why: First timer on the salt.
Anyway, ungainfully retired but keeping things together doing gigs writing and programming (instrument control, plant operations, and other non-business apps).
Motorsports-wise, I've done nearly 60 track days and I instruct track newbies. Also, I've been racing in LeMons for the past two years and we've done OK. Actually, better than expected.
The car is a 1969 Opel GT that we found on eBay. It had been sitting in an orchard for 25 years, but we scrubbed it up and raced it, broke a bunch of stuff but fixed it and are still racing it. The car is pretty solid now. Cheap, but solid. We dressed it up to look like one of the Compuware Corvettes. Our team is Team Tinyvette. Our Facebook page is -
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Team-Tinyvette/192201637460668Our next event will be the 24 hour race at Buttonwillow. After that, we want to bring it to Bonneville. We had visions of being the "World's Fastest LeMon", which would only be possible if we were the first LeMons car to run on the salt because most other LeMons cars are faster than us on a closed course. But this car's aero is actually pretty good and we tend to catch cars at the ends of long straights. We're hoping that will help us at Bonneville.
We've hit 115 on a closed course, so we should be able to do better on a long straight, although I have no idea how much the salt will be working against us. A stock Opel GT will reach 120 mph at red line. We may show up with a stock GT and doubtful will make it to 130 mph, but if we go ahead and get that 5 speed Getrag, it could be possible.
The rules for Speed Week are such that we could never get the car to meet specs and still be a LeMons racer. The SCTA folks recommended the 130 MPH club, so here I am.
I've gone through the rules carefully several times and other than valve stems and maybe the drive shaft, the car is good to go. It is registered, insured, and street driven.
I'm here to learn more and to have a few questions answered regarding the rules, few as they are, and the logistics of doing these events.