Sorry gang,
On Sunday at 5:00 Bill Bernstraugh, who does a video each year of the
Speedway Motors streamliner, had been on the course...said you could drive
for miles and not even get salt on your tires. The storm hit at 5:15 and
lasted for 35 minutes. It didn't put that much water on the salt and it
looked like we could survive it but the run-off from the mountains is what
got us. Monday morning at 8:30 when I arrived at the end of the road there
was four inches of water over much of the salt surface. The first mile of
the course was probably going to dry out but with that much water and a
north wind that blows it around, we just couldn't see having a decent, safe
course by the end of the week.
Gary Allen called the meet...a gutty decision but one that had to be made.
We made an attempt to call all the entrants using cell phones and I took the
entry book and went to the pay phone at the truck stop and called. As you
have heard we caught some folks before they left. We spent the day at the
end of the access road. Gary LaRonge came out with Fred Larsen and their
crew to see the flooding as did John MacKichan and Tim Shulz and several
other racers who had traveled some distance to get there and help us with
set-up. Everyone could see that we made the right decision.
We were able to cancel some things, people were co-operative, but there are
some things like the great looking tee-shirts, programs and even trash
containers that were already in place and ready to go on Sunday before the
rain storm.
Ellen and Gary Wilkinson stayed in Wendover and will be at the end of the
access road today as well.
I guess it's next year on the salt flats!
Wes Potter, USFRA Secretary
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