Originally posted on August 12, 2018.

Today has been both good and not so good.  We hoped to get through with the tech inspection and make a run.  We had gotten the new C02 bottle from Salt Lake City so we were all set to move on.  However, the C02 debacle was still not over.  When the new bottle with the new regulator was hooked up it was leaking.  We completely cut it off to prevent draining yet another bottle but had to determine exactly where the leak was and then how to fix it.  Here we are early this morning in the pit area.

With today officially being the opening day of Speed Week, there was a drivers’ meeting this morning.  Mike left Trey, Adam and Marshall in the pits working on the leak while the rest of us went to the drivers’ meeting.  That took about an hour and then they announced a rookie drivers’ meeting.  Mike is not a rookie since we have participated three times previously, but it has been a good number of years since he last participated.  Also, the car he is attempting to compete with is a very powerful one.  All that to say that the officials wanted Mike to attend the rookie orientation again.  This took yet another hour and a half.  We were pretty tired of meetings once that was over.  It was looking like the day was going to be wasted.  We went back to the pits and discussed how to best use the rest of the day.  The guys put a sealant on the place where the air leak was while I went to get us some lunch.  After eating we decided that we would leave the C02 bottle cut off overnight and we would spend the afternoon trying to get through tech.   

Tech is generally not a difficult experience for us.  Mike is prepared.  He does not take shortcuts and he is very knowledgeable about the car.  As usual, we had no problem passing and he was granted the permission to pursue his goal of 300 mph.  He must start by making runs at lower speeds, each incrementally faster.  The first one will be 150 mph.  To achieve this he will have to change out the gear set to “dumb down” the car’s ability.

This photo is during the tech inspection.  The inspectors are very knowledgeable and very helpful.  We have had such a good experience with everyone associated with the Bonneville events.

This photo is of Mike getting ready to go through his self-extraction test.  That is not what they called it but I cannot think of their term right now.  Essentially, he must be able to get himself out of the car in an emergency.  This went smoothly as well.  All in all, the tech inspection was a good way to end a disappointing day.

Tomorrow we will work toward readying the car to make a slow run.