I have been planning my first trip to Bonneville for a year now. As speed week becomes closer my plans are falling apart. I am on the wrong coast, near Philadelphia. The distance is not any problem that Southwest airlines can't solve. The problem is that nobody around here has ever been to Bonneville, so getting information is tough. The first hurdle was getting vacation approved, that problem was solved in February. The original plan was to fly into las Vegas and meet up with my son and drive eight hours to Bonneville and enjoy Speedweek. Now I realize that I am about two years late in trying to book a room. I thought that I would stay in Salt Lake. Stupid me didn't realize that it was 100 plus miles away from Bonneville. So I am without lodging !! Next, I talk to my son on fathers day and tell him that I will rent a motorhome and we will drive up and camp out. My son informs me that he does not want to spend more than 2 days at Bonneville. I guess that is the difference between being a racer or a racers son. So now I am faced with going it alone because with all the effort and expense I am sure as hell not going for just two days. It seems that I am back to square one and don't have a clue how I am going to manage this trip. And yes I am pissed off to the point that if I don't go to Bonneville I will stay at work, and they can keep their vacation. At 69 yrs I feel the clock is ticking for me to ever get to Mecca. I have entertained the idea of advertising the proposition of me paying to travel with a crew that runs a car at Bonneville. I have been a profesional racer most of my life and I am sure that I could be of help. Anyone here on the HAMB have any input ? Please post.
First off, if I HAD to, I'd just plan on camping. Do the rental car from where ever, buy the minimum stuff you need at Vegas or where you fly to, and wing it. You will find enough groceries, eateries, watering holes, etc to keep you going. And, you might meet up with someone - maybe even from here, to help you along. When done, give the camp gear away, leave it in the rental car, what ever works, and call it part of the trip expense. This plan is not too far off from what I do, although I drive from home, and don't have to abandon the camp gear.
if you don't mind missing the big party's at the begin of speed week try staying with your son a couple of days. because by Wensday their will be a lot of cancellation and you should be able to get a room. Also the best tex/mex food is at the truck stop at the beginning of the bend in the road. you could also camp at the bend but that is easier said than done. jared
I'd go prepared to camp and then go in in the afternoon and get on the standby list at the motel/hotel of my choice. They usually release the rooms of the no shows at a set time and if you are signed on the list and sitting there in the lobby so you can holler "that's me" you have a fair chance at a room. I'm thinking that a number of guys probably drive back and forth from Salt lake though as it only takes about an hour and 20 minutes to get from salt lake to the turn off to Bonneville and it is the straightest road you will ever drive on. I've been there twice and I (and a lot of others) can guarantee that the quickest way to make yourself and others miserable is to pack along someone who doesn't want to be there or who doesn't want to be there as long as you do. It's one of the greatest things automotive wise that you will ever experience if you are into it but if you get bored, or don't like being out in the sun and being hot it flat isn't the right place to be. I took my dad in 1988 and although he enjoyed himself and had a good time he got bored after a few hours and complained about the sunburn he got for the rest of his life. Every time Bonneville was mentioned for the next 13 years his first comments were about the sunburn he got on his legs and he wore long pants and socks. A better option might be figuring out how to go to Bonneville by yourself for several days and then hook a ride to where you son is and spend time with him doing something else that you both like to do. Weigh some options and come up with a workable plan that might include hitting Bonneville for a few days before your son drives up to meet you.
Camp for a few days then the hotels open up. Buy a thrift shop bicycle to get around out on the salt. There are lots of people with EZ-ups you can bum some shade. Get a cheap folding chair and cooler for beverages and some food. When your time is done you can donate it to some new friends. You *will* make some new friends. Have your son join in the first part for 2 days, then send him one-way back home to Las Vegas and you can stay a few more. Southwest flies SLC to LAS. Then drive back to Las Vegas to go home.
Check into one of those van conversions to rent. Pricey compared to a rental car but much less than a motorhome. If Bonneville is like any other major race venue, the party should be easy to find.
By yourself? Not looking foward to sleeping in the rental car? Want that bed and shower? Fly into Salt Lake and get a room on the edge of town towards Bonneville. You can drive in from there it is really not that bad. You are not a racer worrying about being in line, getting through tech, or waiting in the morning line to get on the salt. You leave your hotel after breakfast, it is not a bad drive (I have picked up people from the airport and taken them there). You are at the salt, get your pass head out, get lunch at the Red Flame, look around some more, its about 5 to 6 o clock. You get back into your rental, you can go into town and see the rat rods (yea more of them lately than real hot rods, sorry IMHO) then head back to your hotel, get a shower, dinner, some relaxing. And do it again the next day. Now, do not tell the car rental agency you are going to Speed Week, you are in town to see all the sights. And on your last day on the salt, pay the washers at the end of the road to power wash the rental, take it back check out and head home. You have now done something many want to do but are worried about rooms in Wendover and or camping in the muddy flats at Bend in the Road. Just go for it!
This is exactly what we did a few years ago. It was an easy hours drive from our hotel in Salt Lake city to Bonneville. You will appreciate a nice hotel after a day in the heat on the salt. Go & enjoy it, you won't regret it. Russell
You should find a way to go!!! Believe the hipe it is the mecca of Hot Rodding and if you do not go you will regret it. I have been twice ( 2009 and 2011) and camped the first couple of days then Hotel rooms open up later in the week.
I have been a few years, keep calling the hotels in town...we get a room every year as people cancel their reservations. The only problem is the rooms can range 200-300.00 a night and are pretty dumpy in my opinion. I camped one year, too...it gets hot quick and shower sure does feel good after being on the salt all day. Go for it, you will not regret it no matter how you get there, where you stay or how long you are there.
The opening days are the best. There is more activity in technical inspection, more race cars, and more hot rods. As the days progress, there is a distinct thinning out of the crowd. Camp out near the bend in the road, shower at the truck stop, and eat at one of the casinos. Do Not take anyone with you that's a whiner. If they are not interested, complain about heat, or get board leave them at home. They will spoil your time. Bonneville is not for the faint of heart. People have asked me to buy them a Bonneville shirt or hat. I refuse. A Bonneville shirt is like a Combat Infintry Badge. You got to earn it. Come alone, bring a bicycle, a big hat, and sun screen. Keep the rent a car off the salt. You can easly hitch hike around if necessary. Bonneville is a big place. The pits are usually several miles from the entry point. The starting line can be 4-5 miles from the pits. #352 Caterpiller Yellow Studebaker, 208 mph last year on junkyard and Ebay parts..
You're a couple of years behind me. I went in '10 & '11. My wife says I can't go this year because she doesn't want me spending my 70th birthday on the salt. GO, any way you can wrangle it, GO. You won't regret one minute. Harrah's is booked like everyone else, but the have a 30 day cancellation and the rooms start freeing up as racer's situtations change: car isn't finished in time, everybody that said they are going, aren't, etc. Put your name on the waiting list, show up at the hotel Friday nite and see if there are cancellations. The groups I hung with all have rooms come available for one reason or another. IF you choose to drive from SLC, the starting ceremony starts at 9:00AM and takes about an hour, so you will have plenty of time. Everybody I met on the salt made you feel like family. I would emagine there are some racers from your part of the Country that would love to have your help in the pit. My deal was I wanted to build FAYE and drive to Bonneville (top of the bucket list). Well, a friend I met asked me if I would mind PUSHING his race car for him!!! His daughter drove a lakester (500cc Kawasaki I think) and the car was so small he couldn't see it over the hood of his Chevy 2500 extracab. What a thrill. She set a 182mph record and backed it up Sunday. I will NEVER forget that experience, jump in you won't be sorry. Good Luck.
Few years back I stayed at a motel just off I80 at the Tooele exit. Real easy hour or so commute with no city traffic.
I'm 51 but could I be your son for a week or so. This too is on my bucket list! Your son can stay at home and listen to Harry Chapin and you"ll have the time of your life I'm certain!
It's too early to panic. I guarantee that if you either book online, or spend 10 minutes a day, Every day, calling the hotels to try and book a room. (all the hotels) You can still get a room. I've done it lots of times before the prices went sky high and I started camping. I have friends that do it every year last minute and they have yet to sleep in their car. One year they made it all the way out there with no plan and ended up getting a room by just walking up and filling a cancellation that had just came in. Its kind of early to give up now. Just find a way to go, and I promise you it will all be worth it. Come say Hi when you make it. 7800 Blown Fuel Streamliner. Tell em G-man sent ya
The first time I went to bonneville i stayed in wells nevada. Its only about 60 miles from bonneville. And there were a lot of cars in the lot with salt on them in the parking lot. Try the motel 6 there.
I'm in Ogden,here until Sept. I will be your son for a week and wont whine a bit about salt,sun,cars,I promise
After the first day of racing is over the guys who broke and are unable to fix their stuff usually leave. This opens up rooms pretty fast. Remember the people from the left coast don't all spend the entire week on the salt. Heck after the opening weekend a lot of the guys who just drove in to hang out at in the hotel parking lots will head back home. The rooms will become available. Stop waiting book a flight into Salt Lake City rent a car and in two hours you will be on the salt. JUST DO IT you wont regret it.
Dont go to this event with someone that doesnt want to be there, even if its your son. Why put all the negativity on something you are finally getting the chance to do. Ive only been going for the last 10 years (I think its been 10 lol) anyway a couple years ago all my buds bailed on me at the last minute. I went anyway. Its 850 miles, I had no room. Stayed in Wells one night, Wendover the next two. There isnt a more friendly race event you will go to. Lots of HAMB people there to meet and hang with. Lots of people that arent HAMB folks and its easy to hang with them too. Honestly (sorry to my usual Bonneville buds) I probably had more fun that year because I did what I wanted. I took one of my sons (30) one time. He likes cars, but not really a car guy like I am. We had a nice time for sure, but he wanted to cut out early, hit the casino's etc etc. If you cant go to Bonneville by yourself and have a total blast Im questioning your man card lol. As a matter of fact it looks like Ill be going again this year by myself, I plan on having a great time...And no room secured yet =)
If you haven't found them already go to Landracing.com and keep checking the forums. Lots of information including lodging, transportation, and crew help needed. Closer Speedweek gets the more last min changes and opportunities will start to show up. There might be far more Eastern and Mid Western attendees than you realize, maybe hook up with them and have your son drive [or fly] up and meet you for his quick "look see". Speedweek is the "big show" but don't forget the following World of Speed and World Finals meets. Usually cooler, shorter, less hectic, and more [as well as far less expensive] room availability. However you wind up doing it just go, the details will work out. I've only been able to get to Speedweeks 3 times but pretty much "winged it" all 3, looking forward to getting back as soon as I can. Ed
I just had to post here on this thread to thank all of you that encouraged me to keep trying to find a way to get to Bonneville. I did not book a flight or hotel rooms for me to make the trip alone. I contacted some friends that had connections with teams that were going to Bonneville. I was waiting for the word from three different teams that somebody might have to bail out of the trip. If so, I was in and I would share driving and expenses and help out with whatever was necessary. I didn't really think that I was going to get to go and expected that I would spend my vacation working on my funny car instead. At the last minute I got a call, "You are in" and you have to leave the day after tomorrow from West Virginia. I threw a bunch of drag racing tee shirts, jeans, shorts and simpson crew shoes into a suitcase, jumped into my Chevy Tahoe and drove to Pittsburg Pa. to meet up with my friend Ted Brine. Ted is the guy that hooked me up with the ride. The next day we took the 134 Fuel coupe to the flashlight drags for display and met up with Jim Senkewitz. Jim was the track announcer for Pittsburg International Dragway until it closed and now announces at Pittsburg Raceway park. Jim and I later drove to West Virginia to meet up with Joe Law and drive to Bonneville in his Motor Home. Joe Law is a 25 year vetran of SCTA racing and a former NHRA drag racer. Joe was a NHRA champion in A/Dragster and AA/Gas Dragster in the sixties. He quit drag racing in 1970. He has set many records in SCTA with roadsters, lakesters and streamliner. He is still in the SCTA record books with his "Grumpy old men" entries. For me to hitch a ride to Bonneville with him is like going to Indy with Mario Andretti !!! Joe enabled me to ride along with an SCTA race director who took me out to the timing booth in the middle of the course. I got to go on a couple of rescue missions when a lakester spun out at 204 mph. I was signed on to a crew of a lakester that went over 300 mph. I didn't work on their car but I got to wear a red wristband that enabled me to get into restricted areas. The whole two weeks was fantastic and I can not express enough, my thanks to Joe Law for making it all happen. They may be "Grumpy old men" but they are a lot of fun!! I scraped some salt out of the wheel wells of the motorhome and brought it home. I took eight rolls of film home and I earned my Bonneville Speedweek Teeshirt!! Thanks Guys!!!
Goldy good for you YOU DID IT salt virgin no more. My first trip to the salt was an amazing experiance I know how you feel. So when are you going back? Ronnieroadster
good for you. i dont pay much attention to any kind of racing or records. i went to the hamb drags and had blast last year. didnt get to make it this year but i will again someday. i dont really know why as i said i dont pay attention to racing but i really want to go to bonneville someday.
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