(Photo credit: Salt Lake City Tribune) – In a news piece that can only be described as sobering and sad, the Salt Lake City Tribune has all but virtually predicted the doom of Speed Week 2015 on the Bonneville Salt Flats due to issues ranging from weather to mud to the physical quality of the salt itself. While no official call has been made yet (as of this writing) we will keep our ears to the train tracks in order to pass along any information we hear (that we believe or deem to be accurate).
The scariest part of the story has nothing to do with weather patterns, rain, or factors like that. The real culprit is the salt layer being literally thinned by years of abuse by mineral companies. The salt is so thin and poor in so many places, officially have been trying to create at least one good course to race on as opposed to the five we have seen in other years.
While you may be crying in your beer by the end of the this story you need to read it. While the loss of a second speed week in a row would by crummy for everyone, the loss of the salt itself seems far fetched but the reality is that it is happening right under our noses. This story will make you uncomfortable and mad. Those are two things that have lead people to go to extraordinary lengths to keep the place open and prospering. Wild stuff!
CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL SALT LAKE TRIBUNE SALT FLATS STORY
I live in salt lake so I’m not far from the salt flats.I have been to speedweek a few times now.It is very cool to be able to go out there and just watch.I can’t imagine racing out there,it would be the best time you could ever have with your clothes on.I really hope the is not canceled AGAIN!
So just appeal to millions of land speed freaks to nick the tiny little packets of salt from diners and sprinkle them around.
simples,,,,,,,,
This has been an ongoing problem [ the corporate interests irresponsibly raping the Salt Flats in order to fill their own back pockets ] for decades now exacerbated by the excess rains brought about by … guess what all you Righty Tighty Whitey , Global Warming is a myth heads so far up yer ***es you haven’t breathed clean air since your pre-teens ? Climate Change
The fact that the SLT is finally reporting on this now ? Ha ! Too Little Too god**** late sums it up quite nicely .
Sad fact is gents the last bastion of genuine automotive innovation – hot rodding and racing … is slowly going the way of the dinosaurs . The only thing that might save the Salt would be making it either a State or National Park . Problem is the Utah political climate almost makes Texas look liberal in comparison so they aint gonna do it . And the Feds especially ObamaClaus couldn’t give a rats **** about the Salt .. our heritage etc .
So though we may get another race or two out of the place .. weather permitting .
Say goodbye to the Salt Flats while you still can . Cause this is their fate .. regardless of what we may think !
Damn ! That Cobvette McTaggert posted last week may of made me lose my breakfast .. but this one has my ire on full boil and I’ll probably be pissed off for the rest of the day
But you know what really PO’s me ? The cavalier attitude about this issue taken by the comments so far ,
Very political. I don’t know the answers, but saddens me greatly. Does make the various standing mile events more relevant. (Brian). Maybe this will be the beginning of a groundswell of people taking an interest in this situation. Perhaps Bangshift could can give regular plugs. Might help
Well all credit due . At least you get it ! The gravity of the situation that is
As far as any efforts by those of us that care ? Its been tried …. to little or no avail . The problem is you’re going up against Big Money [ salt industry ] challenging Salt Lake City’s 2nd largest cash cow [ again the salt industry .. Federal Employment being #1 ] and with Salt Lake City’s economy being constantly on the brink of destruction … SLC being so far to the right as to make the Far Right look Left .. .. Its a cash cow SLC cannot afford to lose and will not compromise in any way shape or form
Which is to say …. anyway you look at it … especially in this era of Me First the Rest Be Damned .. Screw the Environment [ this goes way beyond speed events on the salt rapidly becoming an environmental catastrophe in the making .. one SLC will pay dearly for in the long run ] … we .. the Bonneville Speedweek … BUB etc … are screwed
You should visit saltflats.com and read a few things concerning the issue. It appears the mining companies have been voluntarily pumping salt back onto the flats since for a few decades now. This is mining for potash, not the salt itself. Quite the industry if you research it.
The mining isn\’t necessarily the issue as it is dry vs wet years. This one is apparently a wet one, which is ironic since there\’s a supposed drought further to the southeast in Commiefornia. Is it due to climate change? Possibly. Just like \’climate change\’ caused the lake that covered most of Utah to disappear 14,000 years ago after that darn ice age ended. It must\’ve been ancient industrial citizens (most likely right leaning while people) causing the climate to warm up, right? Nah, just the earth doing its thing.
For the record, I give everyone seven chances before I dislike them. You, CK, have almost earned a spot on that list due to your rants on this here open forum. Your narrow mindedness of immediately blaming right minded white guys for ruining salt flats hot rodding displays your narrow field of vision, and desire to turn everything political.
Please allow me to give you reason Number 7 seeing as how your disliking me will be taken as a compliment ;
If in reality you are of the Far Right persuasion what you are in fact is a xenophobic , illiterate , insular lemming who’s lack of knowledge of the Bible that your kind misquotes so often * [ for the record . MA in Systematic Theology .. Reformation Theology that is ] is only exceeded by your lack of knowledge of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights that your kind misquotes even more . The biggest literary joke placing a target on your ignorant backsides being the ” Who is John Galt ” t-shirts and bumper stickers you display when in fact 99% of you don’t even so much as know who the hell Ayn Rand is … never mind actually read the damn book .
* [FYI ; The technical term is ‘ Proof Texting ]’
Oh … and by the way Mr Gump . In case this little fact has somehow eluded you I’m no fan of the Far Left either [ missed my regular ObamaClaus comments perhaps ? ] For the record call me just left of Center . You know . Center ! As in that place where discernment , intelligent discourse and compromise for the Greater Good exist rather than agenda based rhetoric designed to benefit one small segment of society [ and I’ll bet you’re not part of their ‘ segment ] that your kind has relegated to myth status because of your insular addled zeitgeist
There ! That reason enough ?
As far as the somewhat pathetic and misinformed information you’ve given here is concerned .. perhaps it is you that should be looking into all the issues surrounding the Flats … because in fact your claims are complete and utter bunk . Actually more like a pile of corporate rhetoric being regurgitated either by one of their paid shills or worse by a lemming deluded by the corporate rhetoric
The only ‘ fact ‘ you did get right is that potash is ‘ part ‘ … as in one part [ of many ] .. of the mining going on at the Salt Flats along with salt etc .
In closing a suggestion . You don’t like what I write … don’t read it !
Oh and by the way . Commiefornia . Golly thats cute ! Y’all come with that one yourself or is that just another of your regurgitations of something you’ve heard someone else say seeing as how you’ve probably never had an original thought since the day you were born . Gosh … and how’d you miss out trying to accuse me of partaking in 420 as well ? Damn Gump . A missed opportunity if there ever was one . Well too assuage your fears … hate the stuff . Always have . As much as I hate cheap / light beer , Righty Tighty Whitey’s , rednecks [ not farmers mind you .. rednecks ] the Tea Party , the Confederate Flag .. KKK etc
Yeah Gump ole bean . Like the rest of your kind . The brightest bulb in the box …
… you aint …
BWTM – A recommendation . Read a little history there Gump ole Bean . As in US history . Because when you do you’ll realize this country was not created by a bunch of insular uneducated Far Right Neo Cons ..
.. but rather by a very educated and landed class group of Progressives that looked to the future rather than falling back on the past . Fact is Gump . The ‘ Neo Cons of the day … were the Loyalists
And errr … not to completely ruin your day but …. they .. the fathers of our country [ the overwhelming majority ] were not Christians either . They were dyed in the wool Deists
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deism
Quite the detailed personal attacks, but I am afraid you are mostly wrong. I\’m am not far right (libertarian if I had to be classed), religious (never quoted the bible), or any paid spokesperson (and if I am they are sending checks to the wrong person). The use of big words to mold your assumption of me into a racist bigot homophobic Neanderthal is above and beyond what I expected in your rebuttal. And what does race have to do with anything? A person should never be judged by the color of their skin. You are using typical leftist personal attacks to attempt to discredit my opposition to your opinions.
I didn\’t personally attack you, but rather your lack of factual evidence stating your claim that hard right wingers in SLC are ruining Bonneville in order to fill their pockets. I, in my limited time forming an argument, found that what\’s happening at the flats is a normal cycle based on amounts of rainfall which effects the water table.
And we are discussing the salt flats, not legalized marijuana. Whether you use it or not is irrelevant. I\’ll also bet you\’ll be shocked I\’m fine with its legalization. With the taxes made off it we could drop income taxes. It\’s a nice thought anyway.
If the salt is in such a sad state, and the damage is not reversible…it wouldn’t hurt to pave a little 50 yard wide, couple of mile long stretch of it….
Now … if the situation were not so tragic …. that truly would be funny . Oh what the heck ! I’ll have a good laugh despite it all 🙂
NNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!