This year it was perfect, the Bonneville Salt Flats had the BUB motorcycle speed trials and close by the Miller Motorsports Park was having AHMRA historic motorcycling racing. Jeff, Ian and I left Minneapolis at 4:00 am with the goal of making it to Lander, Wy by nightfall. We were attempting to do the Saddle Sore 1000 challenge (1000 miles in 24 hours) and Lander, Wy is 1012 miles from Minneapolis. We successfully arrived at our destination 17 hours later. I learned a lot respect for the Iron Butt riders. We were expecting warm weather this time of year, but that next morning we were told that we had better hurry across the pass out of the high plains before snow blocked the road; this was the first week in September! We encountered some snow, but were lucky to have mostly just cold rain. We learned disposable diapers can help keep your legs warm in a pinch. Experiencing the beauty of the constantly changing terrain and weather is enhanced on a motorcycle. There is nothing for 100 miles between Salt Lake City and Wendover, NV but the road that we were on and the dry salt bed that stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction, an environment totally different from anywhere else. The Salt Flats is the lake bed remains of a giant lake, a small part of which remains today as the Great Salt Lake. When we arrived at the Bonneville Salt Flats, we worked for three days on a streamliner powered with a 1947 Indian Scout motor with group of very talented motorcycle enthusiasts from all corners of the United States including England and Denmark. Everyone came together to try and help the old Indian make a run on the salt. As I worked on the bike I felt like we were following in the path of Burt Munro and the “World’s Fastest Indian”. The website http://www.ironwigwam.com has many pictures and information about the streamliner. Tragically, this year a driver died when his streamliner crashed at 250 mph. The collection of different modified motorcycles trying to make a salt run was beyond impressive. The very fastest motorcycles reaching speeds around 350 mph. Racing in it’s purest form. I think everyone should experience the salt flats racing at least once in their life. There is a myth that you get “salt flats fever” when you make a speed run and need to keep returning. Nearby Miller Motorsports Park http://www.millermotorsportspark.com is a newly built race track on the edge of Salt Lake City. The track layout, facilities, and services are first rate. Miller Park also has the world’s largest collection of Shelby Cobra race cars in the world on display. We came to watch some vintage motorcycles racing, but mostly hung around the pits where everyone likes to talk about motorcycles. AHMRA racing has many classes of racing from just for fun to very serious. I might even give it a try. We headed back thru the beautiful back roads of northern Utah and Colorado. We crossed thru Rocky Mountain National Park on the highest paved road in the United States that reaches an elevation of 12,183 ft. We continued on back roads thru Nebraska and South Dakota both states that have its own unique beauty that can only be fully enjoyed if you are not on the interstate highway. We drove over 3200 miles adventurous miles, and because I now have “salt flats fever” I plan on taking a different route and doing it again next year.
