This is a "What if" question, drove by back in 1975 but never been to see the cars run. Have all the fast cars made their runs and collected their hats by Sunday evening, or is there stuff to watch Monday through the rest of the week? Bob
Depends. Far more to the meets than making runs and collecting hats. Rainy or windy weather can stop a meet for mins, hrs, days or for the year. Some break their rigs beyond repair at the meet and leave for home early to regroup for another meet. Others thrash on until the end on Friday, sometimes waiting for needed parts or material to be shipped or flown in. There have been trips made to Salt Lake City for parts or to have repairs made, sometimes even mad dashes back to California or other relatively close home shops for the same reasons. There's a different story to go with every entry. Following the exit of the weekend warrior spectators rooms usually open up with lower rates Mon through the rest of the week. Ed
Heed RidgeRunners advice. Lots going on, less crowd. But even the crowd on the weekend is a lot lighter than most other places.
The majority of the posers leave on Sunday afternoon with their roached out cars with drag race numbers lettered on them rather than honest old land speed classes and head home to see who showed photos of their car on the net. If the weather doesn't decide different racers still want to give it one more try and try again the racing usually runs though Thursday with Record runs on Friday morning. Take a beach umbrella for shade for when you sit and watch rather than a dining canopy and make a stand alone base for it or maybe even a holder that pops in your trailer hitch. Then when you go off to look and see you can just fold it back up and not worry about being the guy who's canopy blew out on the track in a gust of wind. You might even get a Japanese tourist to take your photo with your camera for you.
There are many “one and done” race cars. The place is tough on engines and some drive train parts. Some well planed cars are “2 and done” with a night in impounds and on the road Sunday afternoon on the way home. Late afternoons are “fast car runs” been that way as long as I can remember. Better now with Poteet bringing 3-4 engines. It’s not called Nugget car show week……it’s Bonneville Speedweek.
Over the years we set 5 Street Roadster records and never saw a Wednesday. We worked real hard to be ready and usually qualified on the first or second take. But we had a simple car with little adjustments to be made. But a lot of cars stay past Sunday or so getting them sorted out and licensing drivers and qualifying for the long course. I can't see why anyone who couldn't be there Saturday or Sunday would not really enjoy the event on Monday plus. Less crowds, less posers, lower motel rates and easier access.
Hope to make it someday,what is the best time to show up?,id have to travel 3000 miles to get there,would like to see as much in 2-3 days.Its on my bucket list along with a Route 66 tour of some sort,would propably combine the 2 in the same time frame. Harvey
Just had a customer from Cheyenne pick up a chassis and he has to work Friday and Saturday and is driving out Sunday.
I agree RR’s with a sprinkling of salt and think the world revolves around them will never be Bonneville Speedweek..
Plenty of action to see on Monday still. If I remember right by Tuesday afternoon or by Wednesday you might start to see some breaks in the action. Coming from way out of town it always amazes me to see teams pulling out so early. If I ever manage to race there I would bring plenty of spare parts to keep going / switch classes and really make my time / mileage count. For me spectating 3 days is a minimum, especially because there are no morning backup record runs Saturday. Things don't get started till after the drivers meeting.
"Coming from way out of town it always amazes me to see teams pulling out so early." . . . but if you've got your shitt together and qualify Saturday and record Sunday and stay a couple of days to socialize -- it gets hot out there. Some of us come with the idea of setting or bumping the record, and when you do, why hang around when you've hit your goal? You've got a feel for what is possible and maybe achieved it, why run it harder and blow it up when you've reached your goal?
Be out and in line to get on the salt before sunrise. I stayed in my tent at the bend in the road last time I was down there and when you heard the tow rigs go by on their way to the end of the road to line up to go on the salt you knew it was time to drag your butt out of the sleeping bag. The cars that were impounded the day before go out and make their record run attempts early. Take food and twice as much water as you think you will drink. Gaiter aid keeps you hydrated too. I know a couple of guys who have been to Wendover just about every year for the past five or six years who I don't believe even know that there is racing out on the salt that week. They are too worried about getting "the good space" at the Nugget to go out on the salt.
Agree that Monday and later still has good racing. Less crowded, especially by Tuesday. Lot of racers either set record or break by Monday and so not much need to stay. But some of the faster guys wait until after Monday before they run. The nugget car shows have their place, but they are basically done after Sunday night. Nugget is good way to see friends and people. Out on salt is very wide open so not always as easy to find friends or see people you want to. Overall, if you want the crowd and the most varied racers, the first sat and Sunday has it. Also the most expensive time to be there. Hotel rates and availability both improve starting Monday. Thursday and Friday before racing is good time to go and see inspection process, catch up with people in pits, take pictures and get your bearings before it gets crazy Saturday.
Bob, take sunglasses that wrap around your head. I actually used brazing googles. Long sleeve shirts, long pants and a hat, no sandals. Make sure to get up REAL early at least once to see the sun come up over the salt. You will never get the sound out of your head!
Sooner or later you need to meet up with the 21st century. BTW, when I was there I called buddies at home and held the phone to the exhaust of cars leaving the starting line. Drove them nuts. There are a few good uses for a cell phone.
BIG hat Mon ya gotta have a BIG straw hat. Not just to be a cool guy but to keep the blazing sun off your neck.