Ryan, After reading some of your posts it all makes more sense to me. I assumed at first that you had been to bonneville before. As we worked on the Old Crow and as we waited to get to the front of the line (which was a long wait a few days) I saw you looking around and I almost thought that you were bored, but now I see that you were just taking in one of the few places on the planet where time has kind of stopped and they race like they did so many years ago. With the myriad of sights and sounds and smells it really is alot to take in and process, especially when you have so much appreciation and interest of whats going on all around you. It was a great weekend. It was good to meet you both and to be able to have some fun times. Thanks for that video. I was in the truck with you and I still have watched that video over and over. P.S. I could smell the tequila on you sunday morning.
You are going to have to excuse my ignorance. By spectator, I mean the folks with tents set up as you fist get on the salt. I didn't know those fellas could get into the pits or in the lines of the courses? To me, the lines... as long as they were... were where the action was. Showing my rooky here... I think I can still taste the tequila. That was fun. I was the exact opposite of bored man... I should have worn a diaper!
Ryan, if you and Joyo had as much fun as the rest of us did, then mission accomplished. It was a blast, and I know I'm not the only one that expects to see you two back there next year.
Ryan, it was great to meet you, the salt is the best place on earth. gives me goose bumps every time I think about it.I guess this means we will see you next year! chuck
I have never been to Bonneville, But after seeing that video and those pics it is definitelty something I want to do. I have been to El Mirage before but not during Land Speed Racing. Maybe I should try to make the September meet.
The NEXT time you go to Speedweek, get your dead butt out of the casino on Saturday night and participate in the happening out front. There was a smorgasbord of rods ... everything from polished, finished show cars with salt on the bodywork to the grubbiest rat rods that are trailered to the salt because they won't make it that far on their own. The head of casino security was having fits just trying to keep traffic lanes open for paying guests and his boys were not getting very far with the people hanging around he cars, none of whom would claim the cars almost universally parked in no parking red zones. That show goes on from the time folks come off the salt until well after midnight, while you were swilling bad drinks and enduring worse music in the Lamar Lissman designed interior. There's four other salt events coming up. There's the BUB motorcycle speed trials. World of Speed with fewer cars, cooler temperatures, cheaper rooms and the 130 Club for street legal cars and the 150 Club for faster cars but with more safety requirements. After that there's the High Speed Shootout put on by Mike Cook where the Burkland's 411 liner set the FIA record last year at 415.897 MPH and Rocky Robinson set the FIM two wheeled record at 361 and change. Then there's Speedweek's little brother, World Finals. I'll spend fifteen or so days on the salt this year and love every minute of it. The cars are fun but the people are fantastic and they make the salt the special place it is for me.
Ryan ... Great read, video & pics! ... as I watched the video for the 4th or 5th time, I envisioned thousands of HAMBers sitting in front of their computer screens with their heads tilted to the right as Bobby raced down the salt. I don't know if you realize how fortunate you are to have lost your "salt virginity" as a part of the Old Crow team (insert joke here) ... IMO, being a part of a racecar crew (whether wrenching, taking pics & video, cooking grub, or just being a gopher) is the absolute best way to experience Bonneville. I'm not saying that being a complete "spectator" [wandering around the pits, watching the vehicles get pushed off the starting line, and/or viewing the vehicles at speed from the "sidelines" (a half mile away)] isn't an enjoyable experience as well ... but I've done both, and can attest that being part of the crew and getting to ride in the push truck is the better B'ville experience. Of course the ultimate Bonneville experience would be driving the racecar ... and setting a new record in your class! ... someday ...
Thanks Ryan, not just for the Bonneville thread, but for having the forethought to create such an incredible medium such as the HAMB. I am struggling to put down in words what this means to me, and I am sure many others feel the same way. Once again THANKS!
Great read, Ryan. Looks like you summed it up pretty well. Wish I could have met you and Joyo. Well, there's always LSR... that's in my plans for 2010.
That was a life altering trip! Completely changed my perspective. Thanks Old Crow! Things I learned on my trip: 1. I had NO idea that a rental car could go that fast...salt must make them faster. 2. I don't like rat rods. 3. Cyndi Lauper sounds pretty good at 5am. 4. Ryan loves Biltwell helmets. 5. I like girls from the Ukraine.
Hey Ryan, the most important thing I need to point out to you is this: That was not a broken air conditioner in the nugget. It's called a swamp cooler and it sucked. I would have happily traded you rooms. My room had one of the HUGE spot lights that light up the building mis-directed and pointing right in our window. It was a bright as being on the salt mid-day! See you next year man. Hopefully next year my dad and I will be running our cars.
Great to meet you John, but I have to disagree with this!!! Now the Joan Jett I heard at 5 am was awesome!
This was the best bonneville trip so far for me, and having the awesome crew that we had this year made everything so much better. It was great hanging with you guys, and thanks for the terrific story and video. Now let's go do it again.
Thanks, Ryan and all the other Bonneville reporters. Never been to the salt, but it seems to keep moving up and up The List. 2010 was supposed to be the year to drive to Lonestar Roundup, but after watching this video clip...hmmmm. Decisions, decision. Too bad ya can't date ALL the girls.
Outstanding story and pictures Ryan - it is a special place with so much great history. Thanks for sharing. Al
Ryan, drive a hotrod on the salt. We made a trip down the long course. That was our spiritual moment. I didnt get to ride in a push truck or drive a race car (yet), but it was pretty cool getting to drive my hotrod down the same black line that the record breakers run. Thanks for posting the video both from the push car and from the car. Jeff
Great story Ryan I havent been able to see the vid yet my computer is not corroperating. I know my first experiance there was pretty cool. I went in 2003 with 2 teenagers as a pit crew I was able to race my bike and come away with a record plus was able to watch the last runs of Carl Heape with his totally bad ass Diesel truck it was really neat to watch the truck leave from the starting line and see nothing but black smoke then he was gone. stitting in the pits was cool also with that green international screaming black trail steadly jamming and have everyone stop what they were doing to watch him pass. I didnt know that he had cancer but I think alot of people did . Plus to top it all off I ended up on wheels on fire which aired on the travel channel. It was me who was jumping up and down acting a fool with land speed Louise talk about it gets in your blood in the back ground at the begining of the show and at the end rick vesco was talking about where it becomes a desease and more of me jumping around. there are so many neat cars out there. Glad you had a great time Todd
Thanks Ryan. You put into words, the experience, that is very hard to talk about to other folks. The video is icing on the cake! By the way.. thats my motorcycle you included in your pics and I'm glad it makes you like them again! Riding on the salt makes you like them even MORE !!!!!!!( '48 Triumph T100 sitting in front of my buddy Gus' "56 F100 ) Thanks again, johnny
There is no way you could have taken us any closer. Thanks Chief. And I gots me a new quote! Sorry Tuck.
Kev, As I continue to review my strategy for Speed Week 20XX, I have realized that I have a big gap in my strategy. I am going to need a Kiwi in the pits if I am going to meet my objectives. Mark your calendar now and I'll send you a Tejas Connection crew shirt.
Ryan thanks for the very personal and factual writing. One of the first I've read that wasn't so flowery and laden with superlatives that you had no idea what the experience was actually like. Yours sounded real and therefor informative of the passion and the experience. It was real and heart felt. The video was great to wake up to and showed that it's not all success and no problems. The beauty, the excitement, the sounds, the people, the cars, the breakdowns........life on the road.....cool........."Tanks" for the road-trip.............
Ryan the shot of old crow with Bobby's jacket on the car, and the mountains in the background at the end of the video is probably one of the most beautiful pictures I have ever seen. Tell Lucky to put that on a poster. It has everything I think Bonneville is. MissyD (wife and secretary)