Day 13: Battle Mountain NV

Bzzzty-arse-bzzzz went the alarm at oh-dark thirty and Mr Larrington stumble from his pit with only four hours in the sack.  Iz teh suxx0r.  It being 11/9 it is, of course, (the absent) Tom Amick's birthday. Happy birthday, Tom!  I refrained from shouting "WANKAAAAH" at the Tribble-haired bumballoon-cum-president pretending to give a shit on the TV and instead offer this:

Rear bumper of Danny Guthrie's van

Being Monday it was qualifying runs from the 2.5 mile point and being Monday there were more than a few cases of first-night nerves, fluffed starts and the occasional offroad excursion.  And a new car park attendant.

Awooga! Awooga! Western Half-Devil Monster Face alert...

The University of Toronto boys were particularly jittery, five starters in two bikes and three DNFs.  Though one finisher was Calvin Moes, who clocked the highest speed of the morning with a 68.32 wind-legal run.  The only other runner over 60 was Andrea Gallo in Team Policumbent's new and drop-dead gorgeous machine Taurus - the usual faultless run from the Italians.  Yasmin was third up with 58.03, handily eclipsing team-mate Ken by nearly 5 mph.  Jocularity ensued.

Yasmin shoehorns herself into ARION 3

Taurus (has Moment)

Damage to Bluenose's tail fin

Less than smooth start for Iris in VeloX 7

Most serious casualty was Shinsuke Kozuai in the Super Ketta Machine 162 - last year's runner up.  After a starting mishap he was well under way but did a spot of rallycross before ploughing a deep furrow through the brush and gravel and emerging unhurt save for a few grazes and a bloody nose.  But even Barbara Buatois and Ellen van Vugt had starting wobbles, plus after 09:00 the wind started to pick up.  It was left to the day's first runner, John Mumme, to save the morning by setting a new record for the 600/200 arm-powered class at 27.6 mph.  Alas you will have to be content with pictures mostly from the start, because that's where I end up after driving sweep.  About 156 mph, since you ask, and watch that fuel gauge plummet.

Tracks left by Super Ketta Machine 162 before sliding off into the boonies

Post-debrief = back to the Super 8 for the midday cursing of their internet connection.  Photos for the rest of the week will be pre-shrunk to avoid disappointment.  To me, that is, because of how much sleep I'll lose.  Then loafing outside talking nonsense with assorted riders and volunteers before it was time to head back to 305.

Even before leaving the summit of Mount Lewis had rendered itself invisible behind the clouds, and rain could clearly be seen falling behind the mountains either side of our valley.  Which stayed dry.  Had all the teams been present in the start area before the first heats were scheduled to start we could have brought the schedule forward a bit, but instead we stuck to the timetable.

Two bikes only in the first heat; Ken in ARION 3 and new bug Bill Kong in Bluenose.  Ken got away without issues while Bill needed two bites at the cherry, though with the highly-experience Calvin Moes in charge of launching he stayed upright and clocked a more-than-respectable 67.8 mph run, though not with a legal wind speed.  And, or so I'm told, without paying much heed to the notion of stopping the bike afterwards as he barrelled through catch and a further Several of hundreds of metres down the road.  Ken, meanwhile, had contrived to blow his rear tyre halfway down the course while travelling at ~65 mph.  A visit to the sagebrush soon followed.  Ken is OK and the bike was not very badly damaged, though too much so to be fixed in situ.  Thereby depriving Yasmin of her turn.  Again.  Words will have to Be Had.

Bill waits in line.  Note clouds.

I'd got about two miles up the course when the rain started.  Only a fleeting shower scarcely damp enough to warrant covering the expensive electronic gubbins at the timing station but enough to make the waiting riders decide that no, they weren't playing.  Some have previous for crashing on a damp road.  Sole dissident was Peter Borenstadt, but then he has an extra wheel.  We hung around a bit longer hoping the weather would bugger off and leave us alone, but it didn't, so we packed up early chiz.  Racing is also this.

On the bright side I only had five photos to upload and we were able to get out of the Mexican before the nine o'clock curfew.  With a bit of luck I could be in bed by eleven.  Well, OK, midnight.

The rest of today's pictures, nearly all from this morning, are at BM2017 - Monday on Flickr