I don't understand why running a short course in '16 would in any way might jeopardize what would happen a year later(?).
Hi, Stan - Just got back to Beerhaven, and have had a few hours to chew over what was served up for breakfast in Indy this morning.
The idea put forth by Tom Burkland was this - if everybody can agree - BNI, Intrepid, BLM, USFRA, the bike event - pump brine continuously in 2016, rather than stopping in - whenever it is - April, May - and get as much salt out of the evaporation ponds as possible and back on the north side of I-80 where continued evaporative effects of mid-late summer heat and wind could do the most good to restoring the race surface.
I think this is quite a pragmatic approach, actually, provided the decision can be made soon. Here are my thoughts -
Right now, there is a lot of water available to do this pumping process - likely sufficient brackish water exists to pump for the next 8 months without having a negative effect on the current groundwater interests, both public or private. To that end, the iron is hot.
Assuming a normal year (yeah, I know the adage), once the waters from the winter snow melt and spring rains have evaporated, the only thing left to evaporate will be brine from Intrepid. Think about that for a minute - rather than the diluted brine that nature provides via run-off and dilution with the existing salt, what would be evaporated would be brine brought over from south of I-80 - and during a time of year when the evaporative nature of the flats could most quickly and easily cause the salt to fall out of suspension and be deposited onto the surface.
The fallout - as I see it - would be this -
No racing in 2016 - not even a short course - in order to extend the pumping time frame.
Businesses in Wendover would go another year without our presence - which, in actuality, could cause additional political pressure on local and regional government officials to press the BLM to take quicker action.
This could
possibly bring the political clout of the casino's into our camp.
If BNI, USFRA, etc. can make this decision early enough, it permits all of us an opportunity to make plans for summer that might include other venues.
There were two questions asked of the racers in attendance at the meeting.
A questioner from the audience asked for a show of hands for those who would forgo 2016 if it held out the possibility of better salt in 2017.
The second question put to the audience from one of the panelists was, "Who wants to race in 2016?"