Day 15: Battle Mountain, NV

Desert again free from red-eyed zombies; first runs underway at the hour of Civilised.  James was just under 60 mph and Ron over 66 again, but the wind was being Bad again.  The interim was spent in watching the Cal Poly lads attaching tufts of String to mine motor-car, in order that they might divine its aerodynamic secrets.

Or something.

Clearly bored, they then decorated the Scimitar with a Several of bog-rolls.

And so to the final set of runs on 305.  Kevin went off first, less troubled by a gusty wind due to his third wheel.  Rob got underway OK, but he had scarcely raised his undercarriage when the front tyre let go.  Aaron, already taped into the Atlas, asked if he could be relieved, and that was that; Larry and Ron having already opted out due to the conditions.

I went down to the catch area, there to find a jubilant Kevin celebrating a 60+ mph run, albeit with too much wind.  Delaying the start of the second group as long as possible seemed a wise move, as the wind was steadily dropping, and Sam came through in short order, accompanied by an unwelcome moth in Diablo 3’s cockpit.  Yannick’s steed shed its chain, but Eric, Barbara, Jason and Greg all came down the course OK.

A radio crackles.  Jason has apparently done a (non-legal) 72.  We jump up and down and cheer.  Eric is credited with a 75, but I’ve already seen his GPS show a maximum of 71.7.  Greg is given a 46.  And when Sam and Barbara are quoted at 86+ and 77+, instead of dancing in the streets, everyone says “Nah, that can’t be right!”  Sam and Barbara included.

And so it proved.  A gremlin had interfered with the conversion from time to speed, with everyone being some six per cent faster that in Real Life.  So although speeds were still more than respectable, it was only Greg who set a new mark, with a true speed of 43.67 mph.  His fifth in four days.

Finally back to the Owl Club for the awards dinner. 

Much jubilation and "see you next year" Stuffs.

Hurrah for Greg, Barbara and Sam; major rispek to Al'n'Alice for Organisating, and big ups to the Locals who made it all possible.  I'll add a few snaps to today's Diarisation in due course, but instead of partying until dawn, I'm going to bed.

Thought for the day: It might have been thought that the unclaimed door prize - a ten dollar gift voucher redeemable at Donna's Ranch (the local House of Ill-Repute) was the handiwork of Messrs. A. Williams, B. Ehrmann and R. Milligan, but it wasn't.  The identity of the culprit will remain cloaked in tactful anonymity, not least because he gave me a lift over to the Owl Club and back.  Thanks, Larry!