Sounds like it's a go for this year. Thinking of Monday, Tue, and Wed. Thought on those days and advice for rooms at this point. First timer! Slug
Check hotels in Wendover, Wells NV and Salt Lake City. If you enjoy camping camp at THE BEND OF THE ROAD. Free camping BLM land I believe. It is a mud flat so if it rains get out quick. Lots of porta potties. In the evening you can go into town eat there spend money at the casinos etc. The truck stop at Bonneville has showers for rent. There is a KOA in town. There has been free camping at the proposed Bonneville Museum site in the past. It is in town across from the CARQUEST parts store I believe. Nick
Official racing starts on Sat around mid-day. Then runs through the week until Fri is the last day, hence Speed Week. The biggest crowds are Fri-Sun, but Mon is still good amount of people there. Starts getting much less on Tues, fans especially and even racers as they have either set a record, made their runs and fell short or broke. Net result is many start leaving Mon and more on Tues. The good thing about Tues-Fri is with less crowds and less racers, you can really get better viewing and cheaper hotel rates. As for rooms at this point, I would probably just show up and you can find one for Mon night and past. It is Fri-Sun that rooms are booked up. Some of the bigger teams will even wait until Mon or later to run so they do not have the long lines. Don't worry, still plenty to see Mon-Wed. Bring some shade if you can, like an EZ-up or similar. A chair to sit on, lots of sunscreen, and some drinks in a cooler. Limit the beer a bit until after the high daytime heat. Water or Gatorade drinks are good.
The year we went to Speedweek we stayed in Salt Lake City (the Salt flats side of town) which was fine. It is a pleasant 1 hours drive to the course. 38Chevy is correct re the water versus beer. A big day on the beer in that heat will leave you very dehydrated. Put sunscreen on in places you wouldn't normally think of, the salt reflects the heat upwards. And enjoy, it is a great experience.
Drinking in that heat will give you the ultimate headache. The problem with going later in the week is you miss seeing a lot of race cars & street rods. If you dont have a room and dont want to camp then you dont have much choice though. Make sure that the state fair isnt going in Salt Lake if your planning on staying there and driving. Having your own shade is mandatory or at the least mooching off of people that do. About 11 am its the same temperature as sitting on the sun or inside a nuclear reactor. Ive been going since 1984 and can recall one time that the weather was mild and not too hot. I just did your home work for you, the Utah State Fair dates are Aug 8-18th, Bonneville is Aug 13-19th so dont wait until the last minute for reservations
Wear a big hat, loose clothing, and take about 2 gallons of fluids per day to drink. Don't forget the sun screen.
If you decide to stay at the Bend in the Road, bring everything you need. there's no water except a slimy green stinky ditch. However food, water showers etc are all available at the truck stop. It's minimalist camping at it's best. Take all your garbage out with you. If you have an RV it's great. I always stayed in a little pup tent.I don't remember all the porta potties he mentioned but it's been about 4 years since I camped there. There are porta potties out by the course area. Remember, you get as much sun coming up from the salt as you get coming down from above so if you wear shorts and go commando, fried huevos may be on the menu. Just sayin'. Saturday night at the Bend usually turns into kind of an event too. Those who have been there can attest to the heat of a Volkswagon engine bonfire that can probably be seen from the Space Station.. LOL. One year we were playing catch with a burning tennis ball and it rolled under Tex Smith's "Dollar a pound" roadster. I barely was able to kick it out from under there. Try to keep a lid on the noise tho as a lot of the racers and crews stay at the bend too. You can get close to the cars in the pit area and down by the starting line. Bring binoculars tho as the course is a ways from the rope line where you park and watch. Bottom line, if you are reading this and you have never been to Bonneville, Just do it. even if it's only for a day or two. Speed week should be at the top of every HAMBer's bucket list.
Great tips, quick question. If a person fly's in to the event how hard is it to get out on the salt to watch? Rental cars out on the salt, I would be shocked if they would allow it without charging for the damage. Thank you, my wife and I have always wanted to go to speed week.
Good tip for a rental car is to go to walmart and buy some cheap towels and cover the floor so the salt you track in can be remove easily. I was told some rental agent charge a extra fee to clean cars that have been on the salt . Last time out they( save the salt group) had a car wash that would remove the salt (near the entrance -exit ) .
I tape garbage bags on the floors and tape the pedals. Rental cars arent allowed on the salt {by rental companies}but they dont care as long as you bring it back fairly clean. They will charge you if it isnt. The Salt Lake State Fair has gobbled up a ton of rooms there and its getting pretty late to get anything in Bendover. You might still have a shot but dont wait any longer. High school kids usually have a car wash on the main drag plus theres a coin operated car wash behind the grocery store on the west end of town. If you bring a canopy dont forget you need a plastic ground tarp on the ground. Tie it down too, winds can come up fast and your stuff will be miles away. If you have a motorcycle it has to be street legal and you have to wear a helmet. The BLM was giving tickets out at the last Speed Week. No little kids on mini bikes any more either. Dont wear a Speedweek T-shirt when you rent the car or mention the salt. If they ask youre going to Canyonlands. Wells NV is another possibility 60 miles west too. Any other questions just ask them
YES, I burned the daylights out of my lips last time I was down there. Took several months to heal all the way. Still very sensitive to the sun, 3 years later.
BLM shut down any partying at the Bend years ago, in fact they got pretty draconian in 13. Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Porta Potties. I camped at the bend and usually see at least 4 of them right at the BEND. The 3 days I was there they cleaned them every night. There are plenty at the pits etc. Nick
I was lucky to pick up Fri, Sat and Sunday at The Best Western yesterday after a cancelation. See you there. JW
If you are going to camp I recommend going up the road to the foot hills. Endless amount of camping, it's high ground and you can party if you like or get some sleep. I don't seem to get much sleep the week I'm there, I guess that's because we are racing. JC
I believe the requirement for tarps on the ground applies to race cars in the pit area, not spectator shade awnings. Looking forward to a dry speed week. Charlie
You have to see its the dammest thing I have ever seen.it is the most un organized racing I have ever seen and it works. stay off the course and behind the starting line and have fun
Joe- finish your intro before you start telling the world that the volunteers who put on the greatest week of speed in the world are un organized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The porta potties at the bend are complements of SCTA, thanks to the BLM as the blm has stated that the Bend is in the influence of the race course. And as such SCTA is responsible for what happens there, so be good boys and girls with; noise, fire pits, no fireworks, no engine blocks, no burning steel wool on end of coat hangers. Helmets if you are riding any motorized bike, from mini to dirt. Also, I understand the SCTA would like fewer vehicles on the salt, so car pool with your new buddies. Stay behind the start line, the guys and girls on the other side are professional media types and have signed paper work that if they get run over - oh well. Listen to the line stewards, they are there to keep the racing moving and safe. Walk through the pits, most teams if they are not thrashing will talk up a storm, they are proud of what they have. Rental cars,, oh yea, the ones in Salt Lake now have the gps enabled to alert if a vehicle is driven 'off-road'. If you land in Salt Lake and rent a car, you are there to see the wonderful history of the City. Staying in Salt Lake is a good option as mentioned as the drive is not bad and as much fun as 18 hours a day on the salt like we do, it does get tiring. Friday through Monday morning is the time to be there, with action on the salt, action in town at night, it is like a three ring circus going full bore. But the BEST place to be is at the start line as the sun rises, it is like magic. Quiet, with a muddy sky, you can see the lights in the impound area where racers are giving their vehicles the last minute thrash before they line up and head towards the start line, a single line of headlights, racers with hearts beating the speed of a locomotive, hoping for that little bit more horsepower for a two way average that will put them in the record book, and the biggest prize possible, a $12.00 red hat,,,,,,,,,
Typo, Excellent description of the the "how to & what to". Hoping to be there this year on the coat tails of the Y-block guy. Should be amazing!
In case you missed it in my earlier thread the Utah State Fair is going on the same time as Speed Weeks. Rooms were getting thin and not cheap when I looked last week. Just so you know dont wait until the last minute to get a room, you can always cancel it if you get one now if you need to. If you tape garbage bags on the floors & wash the salt off the rental I dont believe they will bother you. If you dont they will charge the hell out of you. Use gaffers tape and it wont leave residue on the plastic floor pieces like duct tape will. I tape up the floors & pedals on my own car. Whatever you decide it will be worth every penny it costs you, go now, you never know when it will end.
Going for the first time as a spectator (God willing). I was told that I should bring a mini-bike or bicycle to get around. Is that still the case, or can I see everything on foot?
Depends on how much you like to hike in the heat, it's nearly five miles from the starting line to the end of the pits. a bicycle is a good way to get around.
Unless you are a cyclist, a bicycle will not help you except in the pits. You DRIVE from the pits back up towards the starting area. In the few days we (#416 Unibody) are on the salt racing we can put 300 miles on between the campground and chasing the truck up and down the race course.
On our first trip down in 07, we took a little "throw away" GEO, and in 3 days put 250 miles on it, going back and forth to the Bend, along with some trips to town for supplies. It can be a long way around, to get to the starting lines of the multiple race courses. If I am able to go I will be taking this, it's already rusty and should fit my needs.
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