Event Coverage What's your feelings on doing donuts and spinning tires on the salt

Tie them to the car and drag them

 

I have been watching the videos from Bonneville Speed-Week 2021, and have seen the HAMB friendly cars doing the donuts on the salt, truly amazed, that the such disrespect, for an already fragile element (the salt) is being tolerated by the people that are in attendance. Plus with footage on YouTube, its easy to spot the cars that are abusing the salt ! I hope that somebody there in authority will at least try to convince the drivers of those cars to knock it off and respect the salt !

 

This really isn't new behavior, guys have been doing this since they've been going to Bonneville. I have B&W pictures of guys in the 40's doing this shit there, even one of an accident that occurred when fooling around at night.

 

they should pull their passes and not allow them on the salt.

 

This isn't a debate about old or new.

They used to think smoking was good for you too....

This is talking about currently. With current salt conditions. No one ever mentioned if it was done in the past or not. Seems like poor justification from my side of things

 

I've never been to the salt flats and most likely will never get there. That doesn't
mean I shouldn't have respect for the area and the "gift" that the BLM has bestowed
on racers. I've read from time to time about worsening conditions so why would
anyone want to rush the disintegration of the surface? The same goes for those
that abuse the privilege of riding along beaches. You can enjoy the time without
being a fool.

I can't imagine how many times I've lit my tires up, mainly because my cars could
always easily do it. Foolish? Maybe so, but even I laugh at the jokers who get their
kicks out of doing burnouts out of a water puddle with their straight six 4 doors
that can't get out of their own way. Another thing that drives me nuts are the
donuts after a NASCAR race. To me it's total disrespect to the car owner and crew.
They work like hell and then a driver is purposely trashing on the car at the end.

Anyway, Save The Salt.

 

Absolutely. "Well, he did it" is never a valid defense.

 

I'm rarely on social media, so I didn't see what @Hitchhiker is referring to, nor do I have a problem with someone voicing their concerns. I just wanted to make that clear.

Yet, from my experience with members of that club, I've found the guys to be decent clean-cut, value-having men, fathers, sons hanging with their dad, they love the salt and hot rods. I've seen them build cars just to make the pilgrimage to the salt and a couple of them check in on me and my coupe's slow progress from time to time.

That doesn't mean I would excuse anyone from a crime, needless damage, or anything.

However, my experience from the salt over the years (not just SpeedWeek, I've probably been there 2x more outside of events)... I've seen some crazy things there. From commercials being filmed with cars sliding about to regular folks ripping on rental cars.

I've also seen folks that are highly regarded around here do the same things. No names needed to be mentioned but some of them are icons.

That vast flat surface is tempting.

The area beyond the pits and heading to the exit can be dangerous. More than once has there been crashes, even fatalities, from speeders and folks not paying attention.

But, anyone whose been a spectator can tell you, some folks visit to join in on some of the thrill. Some years you can't drive 10 miles an hour because it's so rutted and rough. Cars have broken just being towed to the line. Other years the salt is like a parking lot and it's so wide open 50mph feels like mosying about.

Me, I'm just glad there weren't any smartphones and social media to capture some of my behaviors a lifetime ago.

 

I'm not justifying it, just saying it's been happening for a long time and probably won't stop in the future. There are hundreds of videos of it on YouTube...

 

Not that its an excuse, but how thick is the salt where the races are held at? I would like to make it out their one day if it stays open that long. I see the replies that it is dangerously thin. Having never been I just assumed that salt was several feet thick, and maybe thinner towards the edges.

 

Well they act like petulant children when called out on it.

And that I have zero respect for. They've also deleted the videos, instead of owning up to their mistakes, they'd rather pretend it didn't happen. Again... Zero respect for that.

They should be embarrassed.

I'm gonna say it flat out.

These men have no honor, are cowards and it shows.

 

In 60 yrs of driving I can truthfully say I have NEVER done a burnout or donut. I have drag raced and never have even done water burn out. My cars never had the HP or front brakes let alone a line lock so to me it was not necessary.
It’s an abuse thing for me. I will not abuse any of my vehicles as I the repair guy/engine builder. I chuckle at Freibeger when does them and feel it’s for TV.
It’s what makes us all different.

 

That sucks. Again, I can't speak to any of that.

Thanks, though, for being a steward for the salt and event from afar. While they didn't give you the response you preferred, I'll bet you don't see it happen from them again. Obviously, that's an assumption but it's an assumption based on being acquainted with a few of these guys for over a decade.

 

Nowhere close, anymore.

In 2018, which was a rough time for the salt there was this and other issues like it:

https://savethesalt.org/utah-residents-rip-up-fragile-bonneville-salt-crust-2/

 

Never been to the salt. But this reminds me of guys going out onto the dry lakes after a rain and doing the same thing in the mud, which leaves huge ruts in the surface when it dries. I believe it is illegal (as it should be) and carries a big fine if you're caught.

 

Have them go out on a frozen lake in Northern Wisconsin and do all the donuts they want!

 

We are lucky if there is a solid inch of salt crust. Go back a few decades and it was measured in FEET. That is how fragile it is and why their actions are stupid.

 

Save the Salt. These guys are Arsoles they have no respect for this fragile enviroment that other guys have respected for many year and want to enjoy for years to come. They also give True Rodders a bad name.

 

Wow, that is amazing that it is so thin. Did the salt blow away like the topsoil years ago that led to the dust bowl? Or is it some other phenomenon that had lead to its thinning?

 

Mining and only mining. Company after company paying off your Congressmen for the right to steal from you…

 

It is from the potash mining. They drain the brine, extract the potash and leave the salt on the South side of the interstate. MILLIONS of tons of salt is just setting there.

 

Mining. The salt used to naturally flow out and dry on the lakebed.

 

Saw one of the Instagram videos, and to say that it was disappointing is an understatement. From folks that from appearances should know better, the poster even used a "destroythesalt" hashtag, and one of his "bros" replied something to the effect of "if it pisses off an old SCTA official then it's worth it".

Looks like they don't give a damn about Bonneville's history, the incredible loss that we as a country are close to facing with the quickly depleting conditions at the flats and other locations, nor the fact that future car AND nature enthusiasts (many of us are BOTH, these things aren't mutually exclusive) may not get to enjoy the area at all very soon.

The whole motorized performative childishness group, from sad douchebags that roll coal on cyclists, to off-road truck/atv gate crashers in public lands, to limp dicks that rut rural dirt and gravel roads after rains need to grow the fuck up or hand over the keys before they ruin it for everyone else.

 

maybe since @-Brent- knows these guys, he can suggest to them to put on a car show with the proceeds going to save the salt. there. everybody is happy.

 

self entitled assholes

 

Probably defunded...............

 

The rules are pretty clear on the topic of donuts and burnouts on the salt. Don't do it. The reason is pretty clear as well, so the salt is preserved enough to race on. A true hot rodder should understand the significance.

 

Juvenile behavior , regardless of the surface.

 

This says it all perfectly.

 

Or maybe let them know they should show some class and show up here and explain themselves.