Salt driving 101
Driving the salt is very close to driving on well packed snow. On snow you
can only accelerate as fast as the snow will hold the traction. Too much
power too soon and you will over spin the tires resulting in less
acceleration. Balancing the fine line between slipping and holding traction
is the
trick. Ideally there should be about 10% over spin for maximum
acceleration on the salt. Your vehicle may vary. Often racers donbt realize
itbs a
seven mile drag race of constant acceleration! If your car tops out well
before the 5 or 6 mile marker, youbre under geared. The course will become
rutted and rough in spots. These ruts will upset the car at speed and toss
you about. Donbt let it scare you,,, too much. Just let the car ride it
out making minimal steering inputs. DO NOT OVER CONTROL IT! At speed things
happen very fast and you may have a problem b keeping up with itb . If
things do go sideways, do not hit the brakes! Instead keep your foot in it
and
keep the tires spinning. Therebs less of a chance of the tires
b catchingb
in the salt resulting in a roll over that lasts forever. Deploying the
chute can help pull you out of a spin if you get it out quick enough. Too
late and it will just wrap around your car.
WHAT THE EXPERIENCED SCTA MEMBERS HAD TO SAY
I can only give you my experience on what I went through to race at the
Bonneville salt flats so I sent out an inquiry to the who's who of all land
speed racing, the _land-speed@autox.team.net_
(mailto:land-speed@autox.team.net) bloggers list. I asked them and I quote,
"As an experienced racer yourself, what main point would you like newbies
to know about their first experience at the salt"?
Here are two of the first responses;
1. "Askotto" please fricken spare me and everyone else. Could you get any
more full of yourself? Newbe the operative word I suspect and equally
suspect as
qualified as I am to do open heart surgery as you are to describe how to
set a record at Bonneville.
Be well see ya... Dave Dahlgren
2. Yea, Dahlgren. I'm laughing too.
Ed Weldon
Thanks to the ambassadors of the SCTA for all their help.
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