(more pictures, after my encounter on the SALT !)
Standing on THE SALT, unreal.
Like i'am in the middle of a movie, " zooom, zooom ",
like the film " Star wars " on a strange planet.
Only i was
there on Wednesday a few days before official speedweek 2013,
and there
was no " zooom, zooom " , or " brooom "yet !
All by myself on the great
Bonneville SALT flats of Utah,
where legends happen, made & are WRITTEN !
White in every direction, framed in a big picture of mountains
without trees.
Next day, i should meet Jim Hoogerhyde already an veteran in racing THE SALT.
Wauw, it's going to happen , and i'am going to witness it, every bit, yihaaa !
The following day, i could not be beaten away with the technical
inspection.
Special when Bob Lewis shows up , from Corpus Christi, Texas,
with his 80" , ( 1340cc) 1945 Knucklehead for inspection.
Bob was direct my instant hero !
Think Bob was just over his 70's,
probably had that Knucklehead from his youth.
Tech inspection had some
problems w. Bob.
Because Bob (as any racer), walked in the grey area of the
rules.
Tech. was & is really there to help and sort things out,
so if or when Bob would run a record, he would HAVE a record.
You can imagine i was all ears.
I asked the tech inspection and Bob their
underwear out of their pants.
Talking to Bob was "not" so evident.
Apparently Bob had been listening his whole life to dragpipes up close.
Bob was "kinda" deaf !
Tech inspection was very cooperative.
Tech made Bob a whole list to fix, before
race day, the day after.
Yep Bob, fixed everything in time and satisfied
tech..
And yeah! Would n't you believe !
Bob did run à record !
153 mph ( 247km/h), on a old 80" , 45 Knucklehead home brewed in Corpus Christi, Texas.
This was so fucking awesome !
Gave me goose bumps in a 100 degrees
Fahrenheit (38 C) SALT desert !
Still at the tech inspection on Thursday, i met
up w. my crewchief & driver.
Jim hoogerhyde !
Jim not just smart
electrician, and a gent, but also pretty good mechanic.
He had his bike
sorted out completely.
Spend enough time on details, to avoid problems on
the SALT and in tech.
So Jim was thru tech inspection in a matter of no time.
Jim's right hand was THE silent force, " Miles ", real team-player and
friend.
Later at Speedweek, Jim's girlfriend and more friends joined,
so
our crew, grew a LOT !
 |
| Jim , Miles " the silent force", & me " mr. Hangloose" |
But " Miles" was always there as "the silent
force" !
As i said before, " Jim" is a clever electrician.
{ 2 weeks
later, he would run a record on his electric bike over 200 mph (321 km/h)!,
First
electric bike ever going over 200 mph, official !}
Meantime Jim introduced me to all kind of cool people.
Some of them even
raced in the 1960 / 1970's on THE SALT and still going strong.
Like
Ralph Hudson on his turbo charged bike aiming for +/- 280 mph (450km/h).
Think
Ralph is well in his 60's.
Ralph had a bad crash on Sunday.
He was
thrown of the bike at 218 mph., witnesses said.
It was like Superman
hanging on his handlebar to save the bike.
THE SALT ripped of the leather sleeve of his left
arm,
exposing his bare arm to the coarse SALT, it took the flesh off to the bone !
He was brought to hospital by helicopter,
and the surgeon's performed an 3 hours surgery, to clean up the wound, and try to
fix his arm.
Other then that , Ralph just had some bruises.
Last time i
talked to him ( 2 weeks after the crash )
he was looking to ride a
bike again !
That's the spirit !
Ralph was kinda pissed he wouldn't be able
to race,
the world finals in October ( just 6 weeks after his crash ).
Well that's what i call " the spirit of THE SALT ! "
 |
| Beautifully detailed double Indian scout, from " Jim Mosher" |
 |
| Cody, was the best ! All the grass was gone !! Vanished !! |
On saturday officially speedweek starts.
The rates of the hotels are
bumped up from $70 to $ 250 for a night.
So i bought myself an
inflatable for $15,
tucked it in the back of my rental car.
I was
settled :-) for the rest of speedweek !
 |
| My new sleeping grounds, " up in the mountains" |
Hey racing is expensive,
I have
to save money for my racebike ( donations, etc. all welcome!).
5
nights at a difference
of $ 180 à night.
Hmm didn't have think too long !
Washing and shaving between the truckers at the truckstop,
could charge there my equipment batteries too ! OVER OUT AND DONE !
*
On Saturday morning it gets really crazy.
In the glow of the morning dawn
6.30am ,
i'am in a string of all kind cool Cars, heading for the pits.
Hot rods, rv's, pick ups, trucks, vintage, collectable, strange looking (
stage coach V8!),
etc. really living a dream here !
 |
| Up to the pits at 6.30 am. |
 |
| V8 stage coach, got horsepower ? |
After the ceremonies and the national USA anthem.
 |
| Yeah, that girl could sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" pretty good ! |
We're getting ready at the pits, for our first run of the day.
No record expected at the first run thou.
Just an educational run for the bike's computer so we can acquire some data.
 |
| "Kristine" , speeddemon "Jim" , & tha Force " Miles! " Data setting !! |
Humidity 10%, talking
of dry ?
4 litres of water a day, no signs of sweaty clothes,
and if ya
had to go pee ? DUST !
First run, Jim did run an respectable 210 mph.
Nice
, real nice. a good sign !
Updated the bike, and another run under-geared.
Sunday we changed sprockets, yep record !
But we couldn't
back it up on Monday. :-(
So some more adjustments, yeahhh Record ! 223 mph (359km/h) !!
Now we had to back it up, on Tuesday!
( when record run done, your bike has to go too impound,
so your racing
is over for the day).
 |
| 6.30 am, up on my way to impound !! Look a fellow participant ! |
 |
| Miles is taking guard at impound. |
 |
| Warming hands with Tech inspection. |
 |
| Drivers view 7am. |
Tuesday was my flight back home, short in the afternoon.
But we still had to do a back up run.
In impound your allowed
only to do minor adjustments.
At 7am we're in line for backing up our
record.
The officials came to us telling the track was lying there
as
smooth as a baby bum.
They worked on it all night !
Wouldn't ya believe it !
A car breaks down before our run, ruining the track !
Would at least take 2 hours cleaning the track :-/
We were directed to another track.
 |
| Yeah Jim, the track is ruined, we've to move to another track |
Remember Bob our knucklehead rider ?
Bob wasn't backing anything up.
He just wanted a run on that track.
He
waited the 2/3 hours out on his motorcycle w. his full leathers on !
And
i tell ya that sun starts blazing at 8 ! Respect for Bob !
Finally a little over 10 o'clock , Jim could make his run !
Got
everything tip top, nothing left for surprises.
Finally Jim is ready,
facing the great white dynamo meter, aiming for . . . . . floating mountain.
Finally the official, points Jim out, " your ready to go, GO !"
Pointing towards the race course.
Jim eases out at a steady pace,
picking up speed, towards the 1/4 mile.
Bike sounds good, rider seems
comfortable.
The rest i can't see, he's out there all by himself.
I got to listen to the radio how his speed increases.
2 mile marker, 212
!
3 mile marker 220,
4 Mile marker, 223 ,
exit speed 222 mph !!!!
Yeah , we've done it !
An official record,
for an natural aspirated 1000
cc motorcycle with fairing !
And an official member of THE 200 mph club !
Goosebumps time again, big time !
Jim is being hauled back to impound
by Miles and his girlfriend.
And me ? I'am dancing like a 6 year old !
Being there and experience all this,
being member of an actual record
breaking motorcycle team !
My week couldn't be better !
Now i had to try
and catch a plane in Salt Lake city !?
First clean off all THE SALT of the rental car, inside and outside,
otherwise the rental company gives you a BIG fine !
 |
| This was the Salt on my shoes and Rental, just from the first day on the Salt ! |
Like in many many
$$$ , think like in almost buying THE car !
Then a quick wash and shave for myself at the truck stop.
Aim the car east, and set the cruise control at 85mph ( max. Speed 75!).
Riding that ultra straight road with almost no cars, East.
I see in the
distance an white sports car, slowly i catch up with it.
As i close in,
Silver letters on the back show " State trooper "!
 |
| The stretch " Lincoln Highway" on my way to Bonneville. LOOK ! just a car in the distance. |
Damn i'am fucked !!!
Looking as European as I could,
never backed off the cruise control.
In passing the State troopers car,
I looked inside their car as an European the best way I could an
nodded politely.
They looked very stern, but probably called in the car
and found out it was an rental by an European Guy.
They never bothered. Phhhhhhh !!
 |
| This one was less lucky ! |
|
At the airport I dropped off the car in 5 minutes,
the luggage
in another 5, and i was in the plane at 20 minutes,
it took off in 10
minutes after I entered.
Talking about close.
Anyway I was sitting there
with,
The biggest grin and experience you could imagine, and i was sick,
really sick even up to now ! I have SALT FEVER !
Wanna thank, all THE people who make this maiden salt trip possible & unforgettable.
First my wife giving me the opportunity, & my kid helping here out in my absence.
My dog ( kiwi) who waited for me faithfully.
Jim Hoogerhyde, Miles Carnahan , Frank Costa ( great stories !), Ralph Hudson, Bob Lewis, Kudo & Kate, girlfriend & all other friends of Jim .
THE SCTA officials and
many many others ! To be continued , . . . . .
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| Some parts of the Salt are real thin !! Stuck in tha mud ! |
 |
| Trader along the route to the racetrack ! Need an winter project ? |
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| Yep, i'am an official participant ( no driver " YET !") |
 |
| This one of the reasons, i need donations ! Entry is not cheap ! |
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| Just outside the tech. inpsection. Just real nice car ! |
 |
| Think before you tell your wife to "hold on to here steering wheel !" |
 |
YEAH , I LOVE THIS !!
" an KIWIDOG orange Toyota Hilux", 426" cu.in. ( 7000cc) ,
228 mph / 366 km/h !
"Living proof Toyota hilux IS a HOT ROD !! |
