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Re: First Runs

To: "Jon Wennerberg" <jonw@up.net>, <Nt788@aol.com>, <WmTSmith@landracing.com>,
Subject: Re: First Runs
From: "glen barrett" <speedtimer@charter.net>
Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2001 15:12:20 -0700
Jon
Cograts. I saw the tape and saw your reaction. Good for you. You planned
well and the results were rewarding. That's land speed racing in a nut
shell. The crew members are a big part of the success, great to have you
first timers come on line with a positive attitude. Have a nice winter while
you plan for next year. By the way take heed and properly clean all of your
equipment and you won't be crying a flood of tears like ol-nascar Gribb.
Glen
----- Original Message -----
From: "Jon Wennerberg" <jonw@up.net>
To: "'glen barrett'" <speedtimer@charter.net>; <Nt788@aol.com>;
<WmTSmith@landracing.com>; <Land-Speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2001 12:51 PM
Subject: RE: First Runs


> I'll try to keep this short, but here are a few comments about my first
time
> on the Salt - at WoS a couple of weeks ago - in reference to the threads
> previously published here that discussed visibility, side markings lines,
> first times on the Salt and so on especially with reference to
motorcycles.
>
> It was no big hu-huu after all.  There you have it in a nutshell.  I had
> read attentively the discussions about the marking lines on the sides (6"
> wide parallel black stripes, 90' apart) being difficult to use to keep the
> vehicle straight enough to drive it safely down the course, and I was
ready
> for discomfort because I couldn't see enough, or there wasn't a center
> stripe, or there oughta be six different stripes of different colors, and
> darn near everything else, too.  I was quite ready to have a problem.
>
> Nope, didn't happen.  I found a comfortable tuck position where my chin
was
> on the deck of the tank and my hiney on the rear seat.  My helmet was at
> such an angle that I had fine peripheral vision and enough vertical
> clearance (to the upper rim of the eyehole in the helmet) that I could see
> the clouds, Floating Mountain, the gates at the miles, the stripes on
either
> side of the course, the turn-offs, the timing tent, and so on -- without
> moving my head.  Full necessary visibility, in other words.  It was quite
a
> pleasant letdown after all of the horror stories I read back a few
> weeks/months ago.
>
> But even more important to me in dispelling my concerns were the licensing
> runs.  They did their job well, forcing me to get at least a little time
in
> on the Salt at (relatively) reserved speeds - so I could learn something
> about how to drive on it before I twisted hard on the throttle.  By the
way,
> thanks here to the USFRA for letting me get about 13 runs in.  I practiced
> as much as I could in the three and a half days I ran.
>
> Also, Nancy attended the rookie driver meeting and the regular driver
> meetings with me, rode the course at least three times during set-up and
the
> orientation ride, and probably did better than I at driving on the return
> road.  The CB was on, although we never needed to have it --- but as
> first-time racers there was no reason to get anyone cranky at us 'cause we
> thought we could skip the small stuff like it or the fire extinguisher.
>
> It worked for me.
>
>
> Jon    #436  1350 M/PS/G
>   Marquette, Michigan
>  (that's way up north)
> 200.471 and still want more.

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