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Bonneville Land Speed Record Update #4
The day started out a little edgy. It was 55 degrees (12.7C) and we thought we might have to race snowmobiles! The wind was gusting to 50mph (80 kph) and no one was allowed on the salt. By the time we went to breakfast the sun had come out, the wind died and the temperature went up to 68 degrees (20C) and it was a glorious day.
To get to the pit area you drive to the end of the road called Lands end. There you enter the salt lake and follow the orange cones ten miles (16km) to the pit area where we would set up. We were early so we got the spot directly across from the five-mile marker on the racecourse where all the times are recorded.
The first thing Rosey and I did is walk over to the race course to see what the surface looked like and we concluded that it could be one of the best surfaces we have ever seen. In other words....we will go fast if the weather continues to cooperate.
The issue with the salt is that it is much like compacted snow. Ridges are created from the water only six inches below the surface. The salt is always moving so each day the racecourse must be dragged to keep it smooth. There are large cracks in the surface and the ones you look for as you walk the course are the ones running lengthwise with the course. These are the ones that can ruin your entire day if you hit them at speed. The objective the morning before your run is to determine which part of the course offers the least possible number of surprises.
Another issue is wind....we screw everything to the salt with long stainless steel screws because if the wind comes up at night you may find everything gone in the morning.
The course we'll be running on is ten miles long (16 km). They will not race if the wind is above seven miles per hour (11 kph). The reason for this is that a 2 mph cross wind can throw a bike off course in an instant and if you survive the off course thrill it can take at least two miles to get back on and your speed is history. The objective is to keep the bike between the back lines on a course that measures about 100 feet (30 meters) wide.
The procedure is to start at one end and be up to top speed by the five-mile marker where your speed is recorded. You have five miles to slow down. If you have broken the existing record by 5% or more then you do your return run the opposite direction to average out any wind advantage or disadvantage and the average of the two speeds determines if you have a new record or not.
Because of the top speed of our bike the steering is limited to 3 degrees each direction because things happen so fast that there is no time to react. Last year both Rosey and I went lock to lock in each direction at speed and because of the locks we didn't lose control. Even so.....it does add excitement to the ride.
Finally, if you'd like a feel for where we are then go to Goggle Maps and type in these coordinates and it will show you where our pits are on the salt.
North 40.807697 West 113.826900
Gary
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