Welcome, Mike.
Just go to Speedweek -- any way you can. If you have to do it by yourself and
on the cheap, do like I did 1st time in 1984. Took 2 days off from work,
drove out from San Jose, CA, on Friday night and back on Tuesday night. Slept
in my van at the Road's End and bought daily showers at the KOA in town.
Lived off what I brought with me in my cooler. You can still do that. The
"Road's End" is a little closer to town, a little noisier than 20 years ago
and now has a healthy mosquito population. You can also sleep in the Casino
parking lots, the KOA (a bit pricey the first weekend of the meet) or across
from the Texaco truck stop at the Salt flats exit 4 east of town. Showers
still can be bought at the KOA, the Texaco truck stop and maybe other truck
stops. The big Smith's super market in town is a cheap food source. Get one
of their member cards on your first visit -- good savings. Ice is readily
available, cheapest at Smiths. Free drinking water may be a little hard to
find. I carry a short garden hose with me and fill my water bottles at the
KOA when I get my shower. Make sure you are always ready for "exciting"
summer thunderstorms. 75 mph winds are not uncommon. There's a good DIY
carwash on one of the back streets south of the Smith's market. And don't
forget a hat, sunscreen and a collection of water bottles. Salt is like snow.
Heats and burns from both sides.
Ed Weldon
|