I want to go to Bonneville, maybe 2019, maybe 2020. Easy enough to do as a spectator from here in the UK, but I got to thinking maybe I should actually compete. I’m 60 now so if I don’t do it soon I will probably never do it. My OT obsession is the Citroen 2CV and I have lots of parts and plenty of experience. I have some French Citroeniste friends who are also interested in going to Bonneville as competitors. I was wondering whether to build a very small light vehicle that would run in the small engine class. I have some ideas for a vehicle that could be knocked down to fit on a pallet for shipping, reassembled at the Salt and then be sold on as parts to 2CV enthusiasts over in the USA (avoiding the need to ship it back and recovering some of the cost). Any advice, tips ideas? Advice on oddball categories and small single or twin engine vehicles would be most welcome. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
If you go as a spectator the first year, you can get the lay of the land and absorb the entire experience. That may be the smart way, then there are enthusiast like myself that just showed up with a car and blundered through. I don't think that I would change anything, but It was probably harder the way that I did it. The most important thing is...........Just do it! no matter how. Dave 3611 BGMS 56 Corvette
Get a rule book. Last years book should still be available. It will be some time before the 2019 rule books are available, but they usually do not very a lot. I think a motorcycle might best fit your situation but that is just my opinion. Be prepared to spend lots of money, especially on safety equipment. As you become more familiar with the rules and classes, you will have many more detailed questions. John
1st buy a 2019 SCTA rule book when the come out next year. Read-it, Know-it !! www.scta-bni.org/ Shipping containers,pallets boxes etc. have been used to ship racers to B'Ville for years. Even a 2CVcan be "Hot-Rodder" as seen here . It's even great as a spectator !! NaCi-fan.
There are so many different classes, like aforementioned, get a rule book to see where you would compete.
Thanks for the tips. Going as a spectator first may be best. I will download the book. I’m thinking something like this but lying down to drive with legs either side of the rear wheel. Could make it 4 wheels by having a second rear wheel in tandem. Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Due to the fact that a 2CV will be very slow. I would recommend you enter it at the USFRA World of Speed meet after SpeedWeek. Granted SpeedWeek is the big show to see and be seen. But the SCTA is going to require you to invest in thousands of pounds worth of safety equipment. USFRA will let you slide in the 130 mph club runs. I would contact SCTA-BNI and see how much slack they are willing to give you and go from there. Or if money is no object, go for it.
Great advice, thanks. It will be done on a budget and I would be happy with 110mph (I think that would be achievable with vastly reduced weight & frontal area and higher gearing) I was wondering if there was anything like the 32hp Challenge I could enter? Sent from my iPad using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I ran into this guy at the Arkansas Mile. I believe he said he was at Bonneville too. whatever... but .. He told me all about the website for the 36 hp challenge, and what a great resource it was. I dono if I'm helping much, but here's some encouragement to go If you first come as a spectator, I assume you will rent a car at the airport. If that is the plan, part of the adventure is camping at The Bend near the entrance to the salt, instead of an expensive hotel room. In that case you can buy a cheap walmart tent or sleep in the car. Pick up a wide brim straw hat for shade, lots of sunscreen, a rag or bandana to keep wet for cooling, a few cases of water, and some way to sleep in the car or tent. no bugs! The cool nights are comfortable for sleeping with no ac, along with the refreshing evening breezes coming down from the mountains every evening, if you survive the hot cooking day in the sun. water! Free camping, porta potties right nearby, and all the elbow room you want if you go near the "camping community" at the bend, or you can then scoot a few more feet away for more privacy. 10$ truck stop showers right close by. That's the cheapest way I can think of. Check out the 36 hp challenge website for more car ideas... If you come as a spectator, make sure you hang out at the inspection area, and wander the pits asking lots of questions. You'll see and discover the coolest things and coolest ideas. It's not hard to actually get on a pit crew for a team that is short handed. Last Aug I heard calls over the speakers for help from at least a few bike teams that were short handed. That sure beats spending thousands on some silly baseball fantasy camp. This is the real thing. Get there with or without a race vehicle. WHY BE ORDINARY ?
Once you add a wheel to a three wheel motorcycle it becomes a car, then you have roll cages, door nets, fire bottles, fire suit etc. etc, etc If you ship a vehicle, of any type, send it as 'parts'. Because with a whole-running vehicle you run into EPA problems. A new racers to El Mirage last meet spent a year getting his built drop-tank lakester to clear to be shipped because it was a complete running vehicle. A pile of parts is just a pile of parts to customs.
The 130 club which runs at the same time as the 36 hp challenge is about as close as you can get. It is for street legal (mostly) cars that run around 130 mph or slower. They run at the USFRA World of Speed. Also motel rooms are available and cheaper than during SpeedWeek. I, personalty like running with the USFRA better than the other meets. But it is not the show as SpeedWeek
I really hope I'm not grabbing the wrong pic of the timing board, but I believe this 36 hp challenge bug was running about the 70mph mark. My apologies to everyone if I grabbed the wrong picture from my camera jumble WHY BE ORDINARY ?
Rich has it right. Bonneville Speed Week has many restrictions including once it's inspected you can no longer drive it unless it's being raced. Every car runs is considered a race car even in the slower classes. I applaud your desire.
That was the event we went to. The staff and racers were very friendly and helpful so we could make passes down the salt.
Geoff, Bonneville is flat so 110mph might be optimistic! You could ship out to attend June El Mirage, get tech inspected and have the opportunity to get some runs (maybe) and still have some window to meet tech prior to Bonneville if needed. Fly home, fly back. Would be a right pisser to get to the salt and fail - it's not quite like that Indian film! If you need some contacts in SoCal with landspeed racing connections, racecars, trailers, storage and workshop facilities give me a shout. How long has it been since we fired up your roadster? Chris
Your proposed build would not be low budget, and likely would be classified as a lakester. You could run as time only, but either one will require significant safety equipment that will bust your budget, and your weight/aerodynamic goals. As suggested, go for the USFRA 130 club as your racing your own car event, and attend Speedweek as your spectator event.
I'd have to agree with Rich Fox (who raced at Bonneville for a long time) and others who stipulate get the rule book before you start thinking about building a car to run at Speedweek. I looked at an Ot Bonneville car that someone in this area had run and marked one thing off their bucket list with but the price while rather friendly for a complete certified Bonneville car was out of my budget. He had the whole nine yards if you wanted it, ready to run car and the trailer and equipment all you needed was your truck to pull it. That still would have been half of putting together a setup to go race.
Hi Chris, six years. I was really ill then and had lots of surgery soon after. Came out of retirement and started a new job a couple of years after. Had more kids. Got into restoring and selling the trikes I run the club for and did 12 of them in a very short time. Making progress on the Modified again now. Just finished the hood and side panels. Last week replaced the worn out door locks with 2CV van items . Recently fitted harnesses and the seats are out for upholstery. I'm thinking I will go as a spectator next year and then try the USFRA 130MPH event with my French buddies. Looking at the regulations, running as a 3 wheel motorcycle seems to be best bang for buck. Sent from my moto g(6) play using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
One slight hitch in the idea of selling it on here after you run would be customs and excise. You can bring in a race car but you also have to bring it back out. A friend brought a bike over from Denmark in 2014 which was rained out. He left it here for 2015 which was also rained out. He rode it at Mojave and after we knocked it down and crated it. He went back to Denmark and I was tasked with taking care of the shipping. As it had been in the country over a year, Only by a month or so the customs people were really not impressed by the fact that Bonneville had been rained out and I was promised severe penalties by one gal I spoke to. Eventually I found a sympathetic gal and got it away without too much hassle. But if you bring it in you will have to bring it back.
I would see if USFRA would let me run a special that was not a road registered vehicle but built just for that purpose. I would bring it in as "parts". There would be no problems in selling the engine, gearbox and running gear to US 2CV enthusiasts. The rest could be scrapped. Sent from my moto g(6) play using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
It does not have to be a road registered vehicle for the 130 club. I seen some crazy stuff go down the salt.
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