Introduce Yourself

[curt66]

hey all...joined a few years ago researching something i was up to...it's coming to fruition now...more later...my name's curtis...been around the bonneville crowd from single digits...mixed in with the pebble beach/monterey historic crowd...and so now it's 40 years later and that connection has passed away some years ago...i would like to pick the brains of those that have forded certain rivers of streamliner/transmission combinations...but for now i'm introducing myself and will soon be up to my ears in a childhood dream...the fun begins soon...


cheers


curtis

[Rachana]

Hi!
My boyfriend and I watched the Worlds Fastest Indian and he got so excited about the movie that I decided to bring him out to Speed Week as a surprise birthday gift. The timing worked out perfectly! We're landing at SLC late Thursday night, flying back late Sunday night.

I've been reading the forum to get an idea of how to prepare and have just a couple of questions. Keeping in mind my budget is minimal:

1 - We'll be camping at the Bend in the Road. I don't have a good idea of layout, but people are saying a bicycle is a good idea. I'm sure this is a completely ridiculous question, but, in order to save money and not buy bikes, do you think roller blades would work? Also, is there a benefit to camping in Wendover instead?

2 - Is there any place we can charge our batteries for cameras, phones, radios?

3 - I know the answer to this can only be 'no', but I have to ask just in case. I saw that spectator fees were $10/day last year and assume they'll be around the same this year. Someone suggested joining SCTA BNI, and in the same thread it was mentioned you can get 4 passes for your friends. Any chance the $70/yearly membership would allow two people to spectate for 3 days?

I'm going to rent the cheapest car I can find from the airport and get the towels/trash bags/tape everyone suggested and get it cleaned from that Truck Stop. Will hope there is no GPS tracking automatic fine. If anyone is landing around the same times, I'm happy to give you a ride over.

I think those are the only questions I have for now, but I'm happy to receive any advice you have for first time spectators.

Thank you and excited to see you soon!

[Stainless1]

Welcome
Rollerblades won't work on the salt... Marty tried it years ago... no joy.  Might look into renting bikes in SLC. The bend is 4-5 miles from town, 4-5 miles from the pits...  if you plan to rent a car, that is a good way to get around on the salt. 
Bring car chargers for all your electronics and use the car to charge your stuff... or buy a little inverter that plugs into the car and use your wall chargers.
weekly pass is $40, it is a nice souvineeer... you might want to re-read the other thread... no sharing of passes.  BNI membership comes with pass, poster $10, rulebook $10, Program $10 and a membership patch. So that is why it is the easy way, they mail you the stuff early and you don't have to tote anything extra but the program home.
Stop by and say hi

[Seldom Seen Slim]

Okay, Rachana -- here're some thoughts on what you've asked.

Getting around on roller blades is theoretically possible, but -- the salt might not be consistently smooth enough for comfort (I've never been on a set of the things), and skating from the Bend to the pits is on the order of five miles.  That's a lot of skating to start - and end - your days.

There are one or two campgrounds in the greater Wendover/West Wendover megalopolis, but they charge $$.  Showers and laundry facilities are available, and even electricity at the KoA (I don't know about the new campground at the Nugget casino).  Those campgrounds are in town (the KoA at the far end of W. Wendover) - - so you'd add another five or six miles to the pits.

I would be surprised if you could NOT find someone that'd give you a ride into and out of the salt/racing/pits/line area each day.  There are hundreds of people leaving and arriving daily -- someone will likely be willing to fetch you and him around.  A bike isn't mandatory in the pits, even though they're on the order or a mile long - often more than that.  Walking will get you around in a proper amount of time -- and it's easy to stop to shoot the breeze with teams and crews and racers and volunteers and everyone.  It's pretty likely that you'll be offered a drink at some of the pits -- so you need not carry five gallons of your own water.  One gallon oughta be enough.

AC for battery charging - - well, there is no commercial power out there, but many, many of the pits have their own generators and probably wouldn't mind if you hook up for ah hour while you do something else.  Take the devices with you when you go to town for a meal and charge at the restaurant.  Charge at the W. Wendover visitor center.  Stop by the SSS pit and hook up to one or the other of our power supplies.  Get the idea?  It shouldn't be a problem.

I forget what the year membership gets you in the way of (multiple) admittance passes.  You can buy daily passes at Land's End or buy an event-long pass.  I think those are $40/event (maybe $50).  Or you can try to sweet-talk a race crew into giving you one of their "spare" buttons (each of you, that is).

Deep enough for now.  Back to cleaning the floor of the garage so I can work out there.

[Jack Gifford]

Welcome to the forums!
Is that New York city or somewhere else in NYS? (I'm in the Finger Lakes region).

[LEADDIN]

I am building a 1949 Chevy Fleetline Aerosedan 4 door(aluminum 409 with a Halibrand Champ quick change)that I want to run on the salt. I have never been to the track, driven by it multiple times.

[Stainless1]

Leaddin, unless you are building that as a full race only car I would plan on the WoS for your run on the salt.  Read the 130 and 160 club rules on the USFRA site.
Welcome to Landracing and don't forget to start a thread to show us some pictures.

[jmoore2]

Hello,
Name is Joe Moore from Gray Maine.  Heading to Loring tomorrow with the wife, volunteering to help.  Next summer hopefully be running something.  Looking forward to this event.  As a kid I used to love reading about land speed stuff.  First race I have ever been to.

[Blckbrd]

Christian Young from Orange CT here. Just back from Loring. #1221 - '09 black busa.  So tragic to hear about Bill W. this morning.  Hoping to o back for the harvest event.

[gkabbt]

Christian Young from Orange CT here. Just back from Loring. #1221 - '09 black busa.  So tragic to hear about Bill W. this morning.  Hoping to o back for the harvest event.

Christian,
Welcome to the forums. Really nice bunch of folks here! 
Also, it was really nice meeting and talking with you at Bill's Funeral Service.

Gregg Adams

[CG]

Hey, my name is Mark and I hail from the Pacific NW, Monroe Washington. Thats about 35 miles or so north east of Seattle. Ive been to Speed Week somewhere between 8 and 10 times. Never been to any other land racing event.

This year Im taking my nephews aged 13 and 15. I have a bunch of HAMB friends and acquaintances that race at Bonneville, so the plan is to let them get up close and personal where possible so they can really enjoy their first trip to the salt.

I dont think I could ever become a racer due to the fact I have a tough time in enclosed spaces lol. Seeing how "tucked" in the racers get in before hitting the track gives me the chills (not in a good way heh). I do want to look in to being a week long volunteer though. So far we've only been able to come down for a Sat, Sun and Mon. I believe I can get a little longer off at work. Plus it would be a heck of a lot easier getting a room if I had a longer booking ... So far staying in Wells this year.

I will follow this board closer than I have in the past to see what I can do to help.

Thanks!

Forgot to add Im also CG on the HAMB (all of atomic industries sites actually) and CG on 67-72chevytrucks.com

[JWBurgess]

I am Jim Burgess from East Texas. This Speedweek will be my first time here (there?) I have wanted to see
Bonneville since I was a kid, finally said "its time" and bought the ticket. Don't know any thing about the
set up but hope to learn a lot. It's an old gearhead's dream.

[DND]

Hi Jim

Be sure to take a big broad brimmed hat and some long sleeved white shirts, cause that sun can sure burn ya good from the top and bottom sides

Enjoy, G Don

[fredvance]

Wear underwear if you wear baggy shorts!!

[Rachana]

Thank you Stainless and Seldom Seen Slim for your advice!  Sorry it took so long to reply - I posted and then life took me away until now. I'm very excited to come out and my boyfriend still has no idea where we're going! Ha

Jack - we're from near New Paltz, but the bf spends some time in your neck of the woods racing at the Glen.