Bonneville Speed Week

[lippy]

I've never been, and it's sort of on my bucket list. I decided to go this year. Predictably my wife wants nothing to do with it. So I reserved an RV and am taking my kids.

Has anyone been? Hints on parking, food, what to do, etc. would be appreciated.

Also, anyone that wants to go with us is welcome to caravan. We'll be leaving on Sat Aug 8 and returning on Tues or Wed.

[legenmetals]

A group of us rented an RV a couple of years ago and had a great time. I would like to point out that this isn't really a good spectator sport. You can go down to the starting line and watch the cars push off, or walk around the pits. It's truly a racers event.

The nice part about the RV is that you can drive along the side of the tracks(they should have two or three open) and stay comfortable(cool) with easy access to your munchies and the likes. You will need binoculars as they keep you back from the track for safety reasons. Bring sun tan lotion hats maybe a long sleeved shirt for ray protection. The sun reflects of the sand and you will get sun burned.

You can camp on the curve in the road when you get close to the spot where they race. You will know when you have arrived. This is where the racers camp. This area is on salt. You cannot camp on the salt where the race event is. You will find a good group of people at this spot. The other option is staying in Wendover. The casinos are fun also, they usually have car shows in the evening. You can get a meal their also. You will find places to park your rv behind the casino and I think that they have places to dump your black and gray water tanks.

How old are your kids? This may not be the place to take youngsters.
I was bitten by the bug and I'm building a lakester with a model A engine.
Have fun. We should be racing next year.

[legenmetals]

[legenmetals]

WE made everything from scratch. The spindle uprights started as a 6 inch round steel billet. We even made the wheels. The fuel tank shell came from Art Chrisman. Hope to go 150 m.p.h.

[legenmetals]

You will have a lot of cleaning to get all of the salt from underneath the motor home and from inside it. We washed ours three separate time before we could return it.

[mr0077]

Legenmetals, thanks for the info (and thanks to the OP for asking the question)...it is on my bucket list too, but I'll probably need to wait until next year.

Follow-on question, how can you find out who is registered and what they're running?

BTW, very cool project you've got there, good luck and let us know how it works out.

[lippy]

Legenmetals, awesome car. Good luck. Good info as well. Question: if we are there Sunday and Monday, maybe Tues morning, do you thing we'll get to see any jet cars run?

[CobraDan]

2014

Picasa Web Albums - gshack3 - 2014 Bonnevil...

2013

Picasa Web Albums - gshack3 - 2013 Bonnevil...

[legenmetals]

The SCTA ( Southern California Timing Association) is the governing body that sets the rules and regulations for the speed events at Bonneville and El Mirage. The SCTA is comprised of 11 separate clubs and these clubs compete each year for points and awards at the end of the season. I belong to the San Diego Roadster Club.

The club has six events held each year at El Mirage which is a dry dirt lake bed that is shorter than Bonneville. Two events are held each year at Bonneville. You must be a member of SCTA to compete for points. The link below is to the SCTA. It's possible to see a turbine car run at any point in time during the event because when you get your car ready to run you bring it to the line and wait your turn to make your run. They use different tracks for classes that have slower cars vs. the faster cars.

The SCTA may be able to supply a list of pre-registered cars.

Bonneville is a dried up ancient sea bed and each year when it rains the salt percolates back up to the surface. Our Government has allowed this surface salt to be mined for many years. As a result the salt is not there to cycle through the percolation process and the track does not have the salt base to drive on as in years past. Save the Salt is a new organization created to address this.
Maybe California can build more desalination plants and truck the salt to Bonneville instead of flushing it back into the ocean.

Land speed racing is the last of the grass roots forms of competition that still allows innovation (similar to CanAm cars and F1 cars) but on a back yard level. The small guy and not the Corporations compete against each other.


tSCTA Website Home Page

[Tom Howland]

I've been going since 2007 and do not plan to stop. It is exactly what legenmetals says it is. We run a Modified Pickup/Blown Modified Pickup and a Vintage Oval Track car. This year we dropped the VOT and are running a Street Roadster. See my gallery. Camping at the bend in the road can be iffy. If it rains it's mud city. I think there is new spot near bend in the road up in the hills? You'd have to ask around. We stay in the casinos. Real bed and hot shower. The salt is terrifying. It gets everywhere! We put self stick carpet protection on the floors of the tow trucks. Every spare moment I have not wrenching or starting at the start line I'm walking the pits or walking the starting lines looking at the cars. Truly amazing craftsmanship and ingenuity. There is no other venue you can stand next to the car that is starting up and leaving from the starting line. I have not seen a jet car in the years I've been there, but I've seen and heard many 400+ mph cars. You are welcome to stop by our pit and wrench on the cars. We are always looking for help.

[Tom Howland]

For camping watch this tread. Camping