(Photos by Cole Reynolds) Man the conditions at El Mirage could not have been much better this past weekend! I’ve been to El Mirage a bunch of times and can’t remember it being more pleasant. While Bonneville seems to get the most international attention, El Mirage is the place that real land speed racers know as the great separator of men and boys. Getting into the 200 mph Club at Bonneville is hard. Getting there at El Mirage is exponentially harder. The list of racers you know and revere, that are NOT 200 mph Club members at El Mirage, would surprise you. Seriously. And as good as the weather was this past weekend, it is conditions like the ones we saw that will convince you that going fast on the dirt can’t be that tough.
We got onto the dirt just as the sun was coming up, which always makes it an interesting proposition driving across a dry lake bed that is not always flat. While driving across the lake I told Cole that it seemed really really nice out and that I wasn’t sure I’d ever been there with so little dust. After checking in for the driver’s meeting, and signing in for my Annual Work Duty as a member of the Milers, Cole and I headed off to Patrol spot #5, and went through all the role call and radio checks before racing got started. Seeing, and hearing, cars at full song for over a mile is awesome in every way, and it is also a site to see at El Mirage because the rooster tail of dirt off the back of these cars is something to watch. And because it was so clear out, with just enough breeze to keep the dust moving away, you could see the cars pretty clearly going by. This is not always the case.
The surfact was hard and smooth out at the sides of the race track buffer zone, but word on the lake bed was that there was only one really good lane on the dirt for going fast and it was right down the middle where it was tough to stay in the groove. Apparently not everyone had a hard time with that as record after record fell during the morning racing hours. It was run to watch and hear and we were glad to be there in such nice conditions. We’re planning a new land speed racing build to start next year, so hopefully we’ll be out going after a 200 mph record at El Mirage before too long!
Check out Cole’s photos below.
That lead photo looks like some hungry winged dragon swooping in to eat your a$$
Sure hope you and Cole had absolutely nothing to do outside of the routine stuff. SO glad it was a great meet!
Were you in the next state when you took these photos?
It would have helped if you’d brought along a telephoto lens……
Geordie – they keep us back at least a quarter mile or so (not sure of the official distance), even race officials, so there’s little chance of a racer spinning into you. At that distance, even if the racer IS spinning there’s time and room for the Patrol vehicle to get out of harm’s way. But yes, a telephoto IS a nice thing but I think it’s cool that Cole took the pics. Next time he can refine the technique.