August 9th, 2007

Well, I could begin this installment of my Bonneville adventures by regaling everyone with witty observations of our 11 hour journey to get here – such as the last ditch attempt at freedom our two dogs made through the front door as we loaded our truck, or the broken toilet seat in a Rawlins, WY truck stop that almost caused me an embarrassing (and hard to explain) injury, but I digress. I know what the anxious observers really want to hear about. THE SALT.

We hit the truck stop at the Bonneville exit around 11 O’Clock, and made our way around the bend in the road. From that vantage point, the salt was dry without a puddle in sight. That view changed when we reached the end of the access road. If the “Flooded – 10 MPH” sign wasn’t enough to get our attention, then the standing water as far as the eye could see sure was. Luckily, Jon was driving, as I am not what you would call a “water” person. I’m certainly too big of a chicken to drive into anything resembling a lake. Upon entering the water, my best guess on the depth was 3 to 5 inches, depending on how far you wandered from the orange cones (or should I say buoys?) marking the trail.

The trail off the access road takes you straight south toward the Salduro Dike, before turning east toward the pits and courses. The water gradually tapers off from no solid ground in sight, to a series of islands of salt peeking through the water, then a patch of large puddles, and eventually no water at all. The speed limit for the entrance road reads the usual 55 MPH, although if you want to hold onto any existing dental work, I would recommend a top speed of no more than 15 to 20 MPH. The current conditions in the inspection and pit areas are what I would classify as sticky. As of this writing, we have not seen the marked courses, except from a distance, HOWEVER, AFTER SPEAKING WITH A BNI BOARD MEMBER, WE HAVE BEEN ASSURED THE COURSES ARE FIT AND SAFE FOR RACING.

I spoke with Jon and Nancy Wennerberg on the salt. Everything is a go for the annual Salt Talks gathering this year. Plan on lots of good food, great raffle prizes, and an overall evening of fun. And don’t forget to pick up one of the Salt Talks t-shirts. The artwork this year is fantastic. The big event is Sunday night at 6:00 pm at the bend in the road. Be there or be square.

Vehicle inspection did open today as planned. Racing is scheduled to being on Saturday morning. I’m working on this update as Jon’s motorcycle goes through inspection. I am the crew chief, tow vehicle operator, and now website contributor for the Landracing.com team – which is a fancy way of saying I spend a lot of time sitting in the truck. I hope to keep the updates coming throughout the week. To all you racers, families and friends out there – good luck, go fast, and drive safe.

Dont Forget to check out the main Speeweek Page with pictures and results.
Main Speedweek Page