Too many things to do to post the video. Besides it hasn't even been downloaded but it will be.
Mike has had a recent back surgery and I just about hung him out to dry too long before he
was given a tall chair. He discussed the surrounding salt basins around B'ville, the two sites in
South America, and the gypsum runway in New Mexico that was built as a back up site for the
shuttle and Australia.
He is sending Rocky to South America before long to scope out Salar De Uyuni in Bolivia.
The Red Bull F1 team ran there a while back but their purpose was not a LSR. This site
has a distinct possibility. Salinas Grande, Argentina, has 100 miles of salt that is 10 feet thick
but it also has constant wind that is above the FIM limit for records. It's elevation, 11,000 feet, is
a challenge for aging crews.
White Sands, New Mexico has around 7 miles of gypsum runway that could be used, B U T, as always
there is a but involved. It has had no maintenance for a long time. It's not long enough for
400+ MPH records and who wants to clean the car after running on wet gypsum. It is available.
If you just have to run Mike says Australia is our best bet. He plans to run there in 2017 if
Bonneville is not useable. Treit and Davenport are also considering Australia in 2017. Shipping,
vehicle availability and the support of the Aussies are all pluses.
In Mike's opinion patience is the proper behavior related to Bonneville. The two adjacent unused
salt flats next to Bonneville just won't happen. Access, I know you can just look right over there and
see it, and the documents required to run a Speed Week type of event are not achievable. I know,
he wants to run as much as anyone but when he turning away from those two sites should convince us
that it's not going to occur. Andy Green wanted to run there but they also decided against it.
When one has to deal with Mutha Nature and the BLM you are playing against a marked deck.
So run the pavement sites that are available, wait for Bonneville or go to Australia are his recommendations.
Soon I'll post the almost hour long video that I shot.
Again, Patience folks.
One Run Bob expressed it in his refined attitude, "Patience HELL, I wanna race."
