When are you coming to Speedweek

[edweldon]

When are you coming to Speedweek?  The people you work for need to know how to live without you for a week or 10 days and you ain't gettin any younger, kid!!  If you can't afford to drive your car, see if you can hook up with someone coming to the Salt.  A pit crew gig is by far the best way to go first time.  If you bring a bike for local transportation make sure you're in good shape and the bike has fat tires (mountain bike type) for on the salt bed.
Bring an air mattress and a light sleeping bag, some sunscreen,a wide brim hat, a plastic cooler for ice and drinks and a change or two of tee shirts & underwear and a spare pair of pants, preferably shorts. If you don't have a tent bring some mosquito netting. Last few years they started breeding in the drainage ditch near the "bend". 
It shouldn't cost you much more for eating than is does at home.  Showers at the truck stop at exit 4 cost $5.00 last year, the rest rooms are clean and the washing machine takes 5 quarters if I remember correctly. Wash dries in about an hour in the hot sun.  A bag of ice was $2.00 and a good breakfast or dinner at the Salt Flats Cafe (at the truck stop) is around $5.00 plus a tip. The Bend in the Road "camping" area is about 1/2 mile north of the truck stop and usually each year someone springs for a porta-jon or two.
Ed Weldon

[edweldon]

Tents are pretty safe to leave during the day at the bend in the road or the KOA.  If you're tent camping you're going to want to know where to get a shower.  In 2006 the Sinclair truck stop was $5.00, KOA $7.50 and the truck stop at the end of town where there's an Arby's wanted $9.00. Water is a bit harder to find.  Recommend bringing a short garden hose with you and ask at the KOA, gas stations and other places.  If you've got a toilet on board the KOA is pricey at $10.00 for their dump station.  Your best supply source is the big Smith's market up the west side of town.  Get one of their discount cards the first day in there and use it year after year.  Ice varies in price.  The KOA is pretty full the first couple of days of Speedweek; but loosens up later.  They have a few tent sites in addition to the RV sites
Ed Weldon

[edweldon]

Best Mexican in town
This Sinclair truck stop and the Salt flats Café restaurant (which I understand leases the space from the truck stop owner as a separate business) are a growing asset to us racers and truly worthy of our support and encouragement.  While they are most valuable to those of us that camp out, there is still value to our entire racing community.  Given the growing "we don't need the racers" attitude that seems to exist in the big business operations in town it is important that we have good facilities for those spectators, helpers and low buck racing operations who are not ready to spend $1000 plus and commit 8-1/2 months in advance for accomodations in town.
The Salt  Flats Café  does a great Americam-cholesterol breakfast and a fine std. American-Mexican menu later on.
Of course the small retail businesses in town will be there to sell us gas, food, ice and sundries.  But how many of them will give you a place to fill your water jugs or take a shower?  (if you haven't put in a 12 hour day working on the Salt you are not likely to truly appreciate the effects of a good shower).  Actually the only "big business" in town that I have any respect for is the Smith's Supermarket up on the west end of town.  Get one of their discount member cards and stash it in the cubby where you put your rule book, BNI membership card and bag of quarters for the laundramat.
The Sinclair truck stop restaurant has a terrific breakfast.  Really only works if you're not going to be part of the 6:00 AM rush to the Salt on a given day.  I tend to alternate between there and the Red Flame depending on whether the guys I crew for are in a record run mode or the amount of sleep I got the previous night on the "off" years.  Either way the breakfast you get will carry you through the day very handily.
Ed Weldon

[edweldon]

Get set up for camping..........Here's the alternatives
 1. 2 campgrounds in town. Likely they'll have spaces after the weekend. KOA has a few tent sites.
 2. Truck parking behind the Rainbow
 3. Other casino lots
 4. Tarantula Gulch or down by the airport
 5. Lot across the road from the truck stop
 6. Bend in the road if you like company, campfires, bugs and generator noise
 and maybe even a good fireworks display.
 7. Campgrounds/RV parks in Wells
 8.  Angel Lake Campground in the mountains 20 minutes west of Wells elev. 8000 ft.
 9.  Off I 80 at one of several exits West of Wendover.  Best choices exits 387(Shafter) 6000 ft
376 (Pequop) (7000 ft) and 360 (Moor) 5000 ft.
10. And here's a little known jewel: up the Ranch roadfrom the "Bend" to the top of the
 hill. (elevation 5000 ft) The "main" road goes left and northwest toward Pilot peak. A side
 road goes around the north side of the building and splits. North to the
 salt bed and northeast along the mountain. Take the northeast one.
 Unlimited places to park and a pretty spectacular sunset view. You can see
 these roads if you look carefully at the Google Earth image. The ground out
 there off the dirt road is fairly firm for light vehicles; but I'd strongly
 recommend scouting a little if you've got a big RV or are pulling a race car
 trailer.
 And one request to all you guys... this place is pretty pristine. Please
 try not to mess it up......
 Ed Weldon

[Glen]

be there on 8-14-08 ready to start timing set up and hoping for a great speed week for all of the racers.
All of your points are well said. There will be a lot more information as it gets closer to the event.

[Stan Back]

For Newbies -- the Red Flame is a good catering service that serves breakfasts and lunches, reasonably priced, at about the 3-mile marker, also next to the impound area.  They even provide covered seating and you can spectate while you eat.