This is NOT a sarcastic question, but a real one, I have never given this any thought before, but my kid asked, if the salt flats, (what I use to describe the "Bonniville" salt flats) are actually a bed of salt??? I didn't have an answer?!?!?! So, when I look at races, I see all the debri on the cars after making a run on the flats (hood, roof, grille, etc.), and it's also stuck to the tires! Is the ground actually SALT???? As in "un-proccessed" table salt? I will let her read this to get an actuall definition, and the easier defined for an inquiring 11 year old girl the better... Thank you...Ken
The salt flats are a result of long term water that collects minerals as it runs down form the mountains and then evaporation that leaves behind the minerals, which are in the form of "salts". Not just sodium chloride, which is table salt, but many other types. One of the other elements that is mined is potash (pot***ium) used in fertilizer and one of the reasons that the Save the Salt has been pumping the excess back onto the salt flats. The salt flats are really just a big extension of the Great Salt Lake, that is real shallow and dries out each year (hopefully for good racing!!). In fact the slat flats flood out every year, very shallow for the most part, and it takes until late summer for the salt to dry out enough that the surface is hard enough for racing on. If it is too wet, it is crumbly. When the surface is dry, it has a little bit of loose salt on the surface, but is really hard. The racing surface is swept to clear the loose debris and make abetter surface for the cars to drive on. The salt has much less traction than a regular street asphalt or concrete. Take your daughter and yourself out there, all hot rodders and future hot rodders need to experience Speed Week at Bonneville at least once.
Ive got a salt crystal about the size of a softball from Bonneville. It came from one of the ****s that ran along the paved road. Cut the **** out of my fingers trying to grab it & almost fell in,but worth the effort. Diamond shaped,,in the rough from Gods country.
PM me your address and I will send you daughter some to take into school for show and tell.......do kids still do that nowdays???
North of Bonneville there are active salt mines and a good percentage of U.S. salt production comes from there.
I p***ed by the Great Salt Lake on my way back to CA while on vacation last October, at a rest stop I saw this sign: The salt was still pretty wet where this first pic was taken. Further on down the road you could see plenty of dry salt: A little further on, one last shot, next the Bonneville Speedway exit, please pardon my import
The first time my daughter went out there with me the first thing she did when she go out of the car was to taste the salt. It's salt just ask her. I think she was five or six at the time.
wow. Interesting question. I grew up in Ogden Utah. Thats why we didn't call it the "For Pretends Salt Flats". they are real. As far as processing, look into 'Morton salt' or 'GSL- (Great Slat Lake)'. Both had plants out there. Flooding occurs regularly, and that makes for some great swimming...er floating!
Yep, it is the real deal. This is the Morton salt plant about an hour from Bonneville. Chris Nelson Kansas
bonnevilles salt is what makes it great as it leaves a great surface and no/little dust. compare this to other dry lakes-- which are more dried dirt-- and you see more dust and not as consistant of a surface. this is why i love bonneville so much more than a place like el mirage. it's amazing. -scott noteboom
What is it that makes the salt "stick" to the car? If it is dried out and swept away before racing, I figurd at best a small "dust cloud" behind the car, but some of the pictures I have seen, it looks like the cars are covered in snow, but I realize it is the salt?!?!?!? Ken
"Bonneville salt"; is composed of pot***ium, magnesium lithium and sodium chloride (common table salt). The "table salt" tailings (left overs) are mostly used for highway salt. A number of companies have had leases to mine the pot***ium and magnesium lithium from the salt. They have large evaporation "ponds" that the winter rain and mountain runoff washes the raw salt into the ponds. They wait until the sun evaporates the water from the ponds and the salt trapped there. From the ponds they use front end loaders to move the salt to the separation proccessing plant. The IDEA racing surface at Bonneville is when the water table is just below the surface. (if you walk around in bare feet; it feels cool and will stick to your feet, tires AND anything that it gets sprayed on) Think of a fine coat of SNOW; it will stick to anything! Although they "drag" the ridges (created by the mud trapped below starting to dry) the track surface is moist. When a car (driver) "lays on the loud peddle" a little too much going down track; the drive wheels will SLIP (just like being in snow!) and kick up "rooster tails!!" Because the wet salt is heavy, it doesn't blow around.
What sticks to the cars is a crystalized salt, it is made by salt that is only slightly saturated with water. Take a gl*** and pour it half-full of salt. Then run about a teas**** of water into it, to the point it is damp but before there is enough water to dissolve the salt. Stick your finger in there and you will see the salt stick to it the same way the Bonneville salt sticks to tires.
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