Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz?

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Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz?

Post by Ecobogan » 23 Feb 2019, 12:23 am

A few of us reprobates are flying into Adelaide, meeting up with a crew there and driving out to the salt lakes.
Be good to cross paths with some members here if anyone's going up, figured the revheads amongst us might be keen. Shoot the fat n chew the sh@t n all that!
Apparently it's getting to be quite a big deal up in S.A as the salt flats in Bonneville, Utah have gone 'bad' and the fast boys now come out here.

One guy cracked 750kph in a piston powered car last year.... they've also got a 50cc motorbike class which'll be hot.
Should be some good old school backyard engineering and big horsepower in cheap cars amongst everything else.
I'll post some pics if we make it back alive
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by Stix » 23 Feb 2019, 7:53 am

Well ecobogan, ive always wanted to go for look...but its a good bet i probably wont make it... :thumbsdown:

I used to work with a guy who used to go almost every year, but that was 25 or so years ago (gee thats scary).
Even back then he was saying how it was getting bigger every year with more Americans coming over.

When are they on, & when are you flying in & out...? :unknown:

:drinks:
The man who knows everything, doesnt really know everything...he's just stopped learning...
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by TassieTiger » 23 Feb 2019, 8:25 am

I would have loved to go...
Few years back now, tassie had the Longford flying mile, I entered a gsxr1000 with nitrous oxide.
Was an absolute blast, but the road surface was pretty bumpy and I went with the lightest 1000cc bike I could find...so suffered a lot. Would be completely different on the salt - a lot smoother surface but traction is poor, so it would a slower build up to speed.
Enjoy man, I’m jealous.
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by ClaytonT88 » 23 Feb 2019, 11:18 am

My old man is heading up and I was going to but can't get the time off work. Have fun! I went when I was 10 or 11 and had a ball. Pack heaps of sunscreen and the biggest hat and sunnies you can find!
Easy come, easy go.

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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by Die Judicii » 23 Feb 2019, 2:12 pm

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I'll just leave this here for you guys,,,,,, to whet yer appetite
I do not fear death itself... Only its inopportune timing!
I've come to realize that,,,,, the two most loving, loyal, and trustworthy females in my entire life were both canines.
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by Cooper » 23 Feb 2019, 3:39 pm

I first went to the salt in the early 2000s. Friends used to run a car. They eventually got to 200 mph. The 200 club and stopped running the car. Then there were a few rained out years. Before I knew it I hadn't been for 5 or 6 years. I went last year 2018 as there were a few fast Americans over. It is well worth the trip. I'm not going this year. Maybe next year.
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by TassieTiger » 23 Feb 2019, 5:05 pm

How many members on here?
$50 each ?? And we can build a 250mph ENOUGH GUN turbo hayabusa (faster than a speeding bullet) woohoo! Good advertising for the site, lift the profile of our sport and promotes safe use of firearms...what? Wake up? Oh...bugger.
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by Chappo » 23 Feb 2019, 6:07 pm

TassieTiger wrote:How many members on here?
$50 each ?? And we can build a 250mph ENOUGH GUN turbo hayabusa (faster than a speeding bullet) woohoo! Good advertising for the site, lift the profile of our sport and promotes safe use of firearms...what? Wake up? Oh...bugger.


Damn good idea!!!
I’ll throw in the first pineapple but like all group organised project I want my contribution to equate to the majority of the decision making and I say screw the hayabusa. Let’s make it a hj45 or a gq patrol with a roof mounted spottie and a gun rest on the window 8-)
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by Ecobogan » 23 Feb 2019, 6:47 pm

Stix wrote:Well ecobogan, ive always wanted to go for look...but its a good bet i probably wont make it... :thumbsdown:

I used to work with a guy who used to go almost every year, but that was 25 or so years ago (gee thats scary).
Even back then he was saying how it was getting bigger every year with more Americans coming over.

When are they on, & when are you flying in & out...? :unknown:

:drinks:


Hey mate, pity you mightn't make it but there's still time! Sling us a pm if you change your mind.
Speedweek runs from Monday the 4th to Friday the 8th. We'll prob get to Adelaide early Tues n head home on the Saturday...most likely with cuts and abrasions and general wear n tear marks!
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by Ecobogan » 23 Feb 2019, 7:06 pm

TassieTiger wrote:How many members on here?
$50 each ?? And we can build a 250mph ENOUGH GUN turbo hayabusa (faster than a speeding bullet) woohoo! Good advertising for the site, lift the profile of our sport and promotes safe use of firearms...what? Wake up? Oh...bugger.


Hahahaha! Genius... maybe a custom frame made from old shotgun barrels, pistols for handgrips and the triggers hooked up to nitrous...you should start a cult!

Speaking of nitrous, what kind of HP and what terminal speed did that gixxer thou that you mentioned dish up? Sounds nicely hairy mate, bumpy road too no less! Joisus.

Great that a few of you have been to check it out, will be taking a good hat, sunnies, sun cream and general combat robes for sure.

Cool pics Die Judicii.....took them yourself by the looks?
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by Sergeant Hartman » 24 Feb 2019, 8:07 am

Hmmm interesting I never knew we had salt flats in SA. and I have know a few amateur circuit racer types from SA.
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by Daddybang » 24 Feb 2019, 8:44 am

Ziad wrote:Hmmm interesting I never knew we had salt flats in SA. and I have know a few amateur circuit racer types from SA.


Yep it's called lake Ayr or Ayre can't remember how it's spelt and all the surrounding systems :lol:
Although with all the flood water making its way sth (look at birdsville) it might not be that dry out there!!! :lol: :thumbsup: :drinks:
This hard living ain't as easy as it used to be!!!
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by TassieTiger » 24 Feb 2019, 9:42 am

Ecobogan wrote:
Speaking of nitrous, what kind of HP and what terminal speed did that gixxer thou that you mentioned dish up? Sounds nicely hairy mate, bumpy road too no less! Joisus.
?


Bike was 160kgs dry and dyno’d Said 165hp at rear wheel. Nitrous was rated at another 30-40 hp. So right on 200hp. Bit hard to quantify exactly with nitrous.

First pass I was clocking 299kmh on speedo (didn’t realise at time but speedo stopped at 299) with one gear to go (286 on the actual timing clock) but I’d messed up the gearing for the actual course. I should have been tapped in 6th not 5th. I desperately wanted to pass 300 but only managed 295 formally.
The way I had it set up - I could only use n20 when full throttle...nothing like having the front wheel start rising up off a bump at 260kmh under nitrous and wondering what might happen if I buttoned off - lol. Not to mention the steering headshake wobble that happened after it landed...was so violent that it pushed pads back into the calipers a few mm - meaning first grab of brakes...absolutely nothing happened...
there was a lot of run off room and it was not dangerous but it wasn’t what I expected at all after all the other crap that had happened - so a little bit of wee escaped...
Tikka .260 (Z5 5x25/52)
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by Ecobogan » 05 Mar 2019, 4:58 pm

TassieTiger wrote:
Ecobogan wrote:
Speaking of nitrous, what kind of HP and what terminal speed did that gixxer thou that you mentioned dish up? Sounds nicely hairy mate, bumpy road too no less! Joisus.
?


Bike was 160kgs dry and dyno’d Said 165hp at rear wheel. Nitrous was rated at another 30-40 hp. So right on 200hp. Bit hard to quantify exactly with nitrous.

First pass I was clocking 299kmh on speedo (didn’t realise at time but speedo stopped at 299) with one gear to go (286 on the actual timing clock) but I’d messed up the gearing for the actual course. I should have been tapped in 6th not 5th. I desperately wanted to pass 300 but only managed 295 formally.
The way I had it set up - I could only use n20 when full throttle...nothing like having the front wheel start rising up off a bump at 260kmh under nitrous and wondering what might happen if I buttoned off - lol. Not to mention the steering headshake wobble that happened after it landed...was so violent that it pushed pads back into the calipers a few mm - meaning first grab of brakes...absolutely nothing happened...
there was a lot of run off room and it was not dangerous but it wasn’t what I expected at all after all the other crap that had happened - so a little bit of wee escaped...


G'day Tassie,
Meant to reply back days ago, been stitched up sweeping weekly blandness to the side for some hefty outback roadtrippery and we just hit Port Augusta 5 minutes ago.
Bought a can of cheap foresight and decided to do the initial run of driving and thinking while the boys do the total opposite....like their on unsupervised prison release. Very funny stuff and ya gotta love the great hard ass outback.

But more importantly it has to be said that the old 'handfull of nothing' front brake business would have to be in the top 5 of bike riding nightmares.
Fair trade though for a 260k wheelstand or what?

I probably would've needed counseling after that and you must have nads like mangoes my friend.

Total no front brakes only happened to me once on my CR250 years ago that I can recall and I promptly stacked hard, which amounts to nothing much at 55kph in the dirt.
Hey I Iistened to that podcast you sent too and yep, very very funny....had me in stitches actually and the boys in the car are gonna cop it soon. Thanks.

It occurred to me that Lukefrom the podcast, is 'The' Luke workman, frontline electric revhead and a big player on the forum 'endless sphere' that I joined a few years back. I put together a 14kw elec Trek downhill bike using a KX80 gearbox and got loads of help from those guys.

Loved the 'getting fully belted by slapping the live terminals on his trike to show the scrutineer how safe his trike was' story.
I'm in the back seat now and we're just hit the dirt....tail end of the drive.
Keep ya posted ;)
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by Ecobogan » 20 Mar 2019, 8:56 pm

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Amazing metalwork...hand beaten ALU bodywork. Made up for it's not scary terminal speed
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Loads of these and for good reason. All the fast bikes were wheel spinning and fishtailing at top speed. Near 400kph in this case
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1 degree of steering. The green button on the steering wheel says 'laundry'
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All wheel drive 2000+HP twin turbo 530ci...this ran 323mph
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Supercharged 1000hp big block...threw a rod at 380kph
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Looked to built on a $500 budget, running a noisy, oil leaky twin cam corolla motor. Still pulled 150mph
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Tough as nails, had a gearbox malfunction and shifted from top to reverse at 120mph apparently
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Caravan for the race car, him and his girlfriend sleep in the 4wd. Priorities.
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Built by a kiwi uni architecture lecturer, covered in tattoos and very entertaining guy. Running a 435hp LS3...he was finishing the build right there and then.
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Perfect. Yes that says 438 on the guard
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Prob my fave...car cost 3k, motor over 30.
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The lake never fills and the evaporated rain puddles leave behind these metre round Mandelbrot set hexagon shapes.
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Probably left this little late but we sure had a memorable trip into the high powered vastness.
Expectations are a good way to be disappointed as we all know, but it wasn't disappointing just not what we expected.....way different actually and all up much better.
The cars/vehicles/things weren't blisteringly fast and from what we could find out, no new records were set with 323mph being the highest peak speed.
'Apparently' and I couldn't find record of this, someone a few years back pulled 900mph out of a jet powered car....this is what we went for but it truly didn't matter....like at all.
It would honestly have to be one of the best run motor events I've ever seen and in a truly gob smacking setting....worth it for that alone.

Aussie culture is kind of a hard thing define but ingenuity, originality, good humour and not over regulated would be a good start, and the dry salt lake races was very refreshing example of all of that.
All the racers I spoke with seemed glad to chat about their story, were very funny people and hanging out in the pits was welcomed with loads of o/s entrants

High speed is all very simple as you'd think. Light weight, meager brakes, decent aerodynamics and loads and loads and loads of horsepower.... anyway you can. Duct tape, Tek screws and cable ties were not hidden.

Was more about the inventiveness, smart hard work and not deep pockets built most of the vehicles... many of which consistently hit 250+mph....and many driven by very old people....75+ didn't stand out
The acoustics across the lake (which is 160k long) from these 850+ HP open piped big blocks hitting 7500rpm on the way down straight was goose bump worthy. V8 Pavarotti

Had a high vehicle and driver safety element but wasn't over bearing, just sensible. Like ALL rules should be.
Run by a guy called Steve 'the animal' Charlton who was a raw good natured wild character. The whole thing is a credit to him and up till recently ran the whole event in his jocks and flanny...not kidding

Anyway go check it out, we probably will again.
Few pineapples towards that turbo Hayabusa perhaps Tassie? It'll sharpen our senses to race it in the Isle of Man straight up.....
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by goat » 21 Mar 2019, 6:27 pm

Awesome photos and a good yarn mate, thanks for sharing. Might have to put it on the to do list...looks like fun.
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Re: Dry salt lake racing.... anyone heading out for a squizz

Post by Bent Arrow » 21 Mar 2019, 7:43 pm

Sounds like a hoot, glad you had a great time
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