Hi Paul;
El Mirage is dried mud, it has a high clay content with a lot alkali.
It has a hard surface(as hard as dry mud can get). Sometimes this surface
layer is bonded to the underlying dirt very well sometimes it isn't. There
are also cracks (like all drying mud) but they are very shallow and narrow.
Some meets this surface breaks up after 20 runs sometimes it will last for
100. The high horsepower heavier cars tend to make ruts when they are really
cooking. Rainfall over the winter and how it dries between storms determines
how fast the lakebed will be. It varies from year to year and meet to meet.
It is always different.
Jim in Palmdale who has to go make sandwiches to take to the lakebed, I have
starting line setup pull.
----421 N. Palmer, Glendale, California----
----where real Indy cars were made-----
----- Original Message -----
From: Paul W <pdubyou@hotmail.com>
To: <land-speed@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, November 12, 1999 9:16 AM
Subject: Traction question
> I've been lurking for a few and learning a ton.
>
> Between the tire and spoiler discussion of recent times I have a question
> related to traction. Having never been to the any of the lake beds (but
> planning to in the next year or two) I am trying to get a handle on what
to
> expect. What does the surface compare to? Regular dirt road, regular
dirt,
> gravel, something else? Is there a rule-of-thumb for deciding if a
vehicle
> should go 'X' fast on pavement, it will go 'X-Y' fast on the salt (or
> something like that)?
>
> TIA
>
> Paul Woodman
>
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