Well all, we made it back home in one piece. The fastest the race car went
was about 80 ( in the trailer) and that was on the stretch of highway
between Jackpot and Wells, NV. We got in to Wendover about noon Monday, met
Fred and crew, BS'ed a bit and then went to the end of the road. Never seen
so much water up so close. The whole area on both sides of the road and out
to the dike was a lake. Unreal! Wes, Gary & Ellen were there with super sad
faces. Very disappointed folks. I think we felt as sorry for them as they
did for us. Hope the club survives this because they certainly deserve to.
Whole lot of hard work and many hours down the tube. Guess thats salt
racing. All in all we had a lot of fun anyway. Lots of bench racing time and
seeing friends on our annual visit. Got to meet Les Butters and chat a bit.
We would do it again.
Wes and USFRA.............You have out thanks and we will see you next year
if not before.
Gary & Bonnie LaRonge
#552 D/ G Alt Camaro
-----Original Message-----
From: Wester S Potter <wspotter@jps.net>
To: land-speed@autox.team.net land-speed@autox.team.net
<land-speed@autox.team.net>
Date: Tuesday, September 21, 1999 6:25 AM
Subject: WOS cancelled
>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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