Homeward Bound
The beautiful scenery outside of Salt Lake City was not enough to lift our spirits as we realized we were leaving the salt for another year. Our two new records help to alleviate the let down. There is just something hypnotic about the Bonneville Salt Flats that is hard to describe. We love the sights, the sounds, and the camaraderie. And now we have a whole year to wait to go back. I hope we have some good video, I know we have hundreds of pictures that we will gladly share with anyone brave enough to ask – “So, how was your trip?” ☺
If all goes well on the trip home, we should be in Westerville sometime on Sunday. Thanks for following our 2007 Bonneville Adventure!
Great Day on the Salt!
Success Again!!
This morning saw the Nissan carry another member of the crew into the 200 MPH Club at Bonneville. With a gorgeous sunrise as backdrop, Kenny drove 220+ to average with his qualifying run of yesterday to boost up the record by more than 10 miles per hour, 216+mph! Wow!
After inspection, we all followed him down to the 200 MPH Club to certify his membership! Now we have 3 of our crew in this very exclusive club. All of us are VERY proud of McMeekin Brothers Racing.
Don Mc has decided not to drive this year. He has satisfied the goals that he came with this year and will not drive unless someone comes in tomorrow and breaks one of the records that we broke in the last two days!
We will spend much of tomorrow CLEANING --- there is salt everywhere and on everything. Our plans are to head home on Thursday morning following the 2 Club banquet on Wednesday night!
Congratulations to Kenny & Don – our great drivers.
Another Speedy Guy!!
Back on the salt early this morning with Kenny to run on the 207 E/GC record. We were able to run early because we didn’t lose our place in line when it got windy yesterday afternoon.
The sunrise was spectacular with calm, cool conditions. All the factors were in our favor. Again Car #280 performed flawlessly & Kenny ran 214+mph. So it was back to impound for the rest of the day. That meant that we could return for a much needed day of rest for our crew. Tomorrow we will need to back up the record at dawn!
New Record!
Getting on the salt flats before dawn, we were all scurrying around to get the car started and into the record proving run! Loretta and Jane were sent to the pit area with the responsibility of filming the record pass. The video is very amatuerish, but it certainly sounds good! Ask us and we will show you! :) Don drove the car 235+ mph, with the average for the new record being 226+ mph. This is 10 mph over the existing record. Yahoo!!! That 77 year old can really fly!
We returned to the pits to alter the car's configuration to enable us to enter another class. The afternoon was spent in line for another run by our other driver, Ken Grimes. Unfortunately, the winds picked up, and there appeared to be storms all around the salt flats, luckily - no rain on the flats! We were not able to run, but we are first in line for running tomorrow!
Let the Racing Begin!!
The crew is finally reunited. Jane & Loretta have returned to the salt flats from the Lake Tahoe wedding (which was WONDERFUL).
We arrived at the end of the road to see about 10 inches of water that you have to drive through to get to the race course. I tried to take a picture of the cars driving through the water, but not sure if you can see how deep the water is!
Loretta and I missed Don Williams qualifying for a new record by about 30 minutes!! He ran 218+ on a 216 record. Tomorrow morning he will need to match that speed again to set a new record! Don W. mentioned that with the salt as wet as it is handing the car is a real challenge!
Our connection is very slow – I am sitting on the lawn outside an Econolodge – so no pictures for now. Sorry.
Will let you know how tomorrow goes!
On Our Way - We Hope!
After 4 days of worrying about the weather in Wendover, Utah & watching the Southern California Timing Assoc. website to see if Speedweek was going to be canceled .... WE ARE ON OUR WAY!
The event is on ... as of Sunday, August 5th ... if there is no more serious rain on the salt flats. I will post more on Saturday after I return from the Anslinger wedding in South Lake Tahoe.
More later!
