Day 17: Battle Mountain NV

Hold on a second, I've got it writted down on this piece of paper...  This morning was true to the forecast, viz. about 6 Celsius but fairly calm and not a little misty.

This morning's playlist: Blues For The Red Sun ~ Kyuss

In spite of this, speeds were reasonable.  Calvin is tantalisingly close to being the 7th person to top 80 mph, getting a wind-legal 79.28 mph while Aniek still looks to be the strongest contender to lift the women's crown, and possibly the world record, with a 74.24 mph performance.  Shinsuke seems to have got the measure of the Super Ketta Machine 162 and clocked 76.82, just ahead of Andrea and Taurus' 76.01.

Super Ketta Machine 162 passes the Grassy Knoll

Andrea Gallo in Taurus

The morning was not without its mishaps; Barbara's starting sk1llz still seem absent as she was unable to get either Varna off the line.  Mike Mowett dropped a chain in Chuck Norush and Isaac Chung yet again stacked Bluenose while slowing down.  This time he rolled the bike six times, bent the front wheel, murdered the electronics and cracked the frame around the steering head, before crawling out with a couple of minor grazes.  There is much to be said for sturdy carbon-fibre and seat belts - I learned today that the unbelted Shinsuke-san was actually ejected from his bike during his crash on Monday.

Isaac's Thursday crash.  Today's was even more violent! Photo by Eric Satterlee

Friday afternoon is traditionally the drag races, organised as ever by Robert and Linda Barnett.  For the very first time I did manage to attend these, though only when they were winding down, so I've no idea who won overall.  Though I did see some greenbacks disppearing into Adam Ince's pocket.

Cow. Nevada. Friday.

Thomas Ulph attempts to get to grips with Robert Barnett's hand- and foot-powered trike

Equally true to the forecast, the evening was far from sweltering and bastard windy.  Almost a straight headwind but enough to put Ken off riding.  Well, that and the fact that's he's a Proper Gent and didn't want to risk breaking the bike and depriving Yasmin of her turn.  Though he didn't sound entirely happy about the state of affairs that has seen her able to bag the optimum starting time every day; the riders get to choose their heats according to the percentage of the current world record they've achieved and Todd Reichert has lifted the men's record so far out of reach in the past two years that hardly any of the Chaps get a look-in.  Todd and his wife Jenny, incidentally, have joined the growing army of spectators/volunteers as of this morning.

Another cow, Nevada, Friday.  Or rather a member of the Taurus squad in fancy headgear...

Iris waiting on deck for a run in heat three.  None, alas, was forthcoming.

Although none of the bikes managed to get near the records tonight, the nine year old mark for Highest Speed Set By The Sweep Car did get a beasting tonight.  Officer Steve Day of the Nevada Highway Patrol brought out his Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat to play; this sports a 6.2 litre supercharged V8 with 707 bhp on tap.  Traffic held up the first try, but we got a clear road next time round and duly hit 187 mph with three people in the car.  It's a bit of a beast...

Nice kitteh...

We were invited to join in the Mexicans' Independence Day celebrations this evening; by all accounts this was something of a party last year with much tequila and Sherry Shi of Toronto dancing like one possessed.  I await reports of tonight's shindig with interest as I opted for a Dirty Sandwich from the "gas" station and an early night.  Tomorrow morning's weather forecast: like today's only colder.  Drat and, moreover, fiddlesticks.