Wacky Idea: Dry Lake Bed Autocross!

[squarefour]

I just had the interesting idea of having a "fun-only" autocross on one of the remote dry lake beds in Socal. If you haven't been, the surface is dried mud that is slippery but very very smooth. Obviously, low speed turns with lots of sliding. The only danger to the cars is lots of fine dirt and dust.

 

I'm thinking it would be nothing official, just an under-the-radar "gathering of folks". A few of the lake beds are on (so far) fully open land. A while back there was an "informal gathering" of about 30 airplanes that landed on a lakebed, had a catered lunch, and flew off. Absolutely legal, no permits required.

 

Downsides:

 

Good air filters needed.

Lots of cleaning afterward.

Trailering probably required, as the lakebed I'm thinking of for this is 3 hours of washboard road from the highway.

May alienate local landsailers for disturbing their surface. Their fears are unfounded, as a rain with wind does a lot more damage. Should probably do this on a weekday to minimize issues. Also, bring brooms and clean up afterward.

 

 

As I read through that list I realize nobody will go for it, but man I think it would be a hoot!

Edited November 16, 2010 by squarefour

[BMW RACER]

Pacific Sports Car Club used to have a time trial out there in the early '70's

 

It was a blast!! You could do great high speed drifts in the dirt. BUT. I always had car problems afterwards. I ended up renting a car (Pinto with a 4 speed)

 

The dust is hard on the car. It's like brown talcum powder

[squarefour]

Hey, great info!

 

Were the problems mostly engine-related? Maybe we could fit the giant canister air filters the desert racing guys use:)

 

That stuff can also work it's way into electrical switches and cause issues, but pretty much all my switches are waterproof/dustproof.

[snookwheel]

Speaking from my Jeep off-roading past, the dirt/dust/mud just destroyed universal joints, bearings, brake cylinders. Anything that moves and can be damaged by a fine grinding compound being sprayed at it... will be damaged.

 

Cost of admittance for off roading :jester:

 

Scott

[escondidoron]

One of the sites of the company that I work for is at El Mirage, adjacent to the lake bed. Over the past 15 years I've spent about 1/2 of my working time there. As a result I've had many opportunities to go out on the lake bed. I've also been to a couple of SCTA events there (It is very interesting from a technical perspective and pretty cool from a historic perspective as lakes racing is where the whole hot rodding and movement and drag racing originated back in the 20s - 30s). Driving around on the lake beds in a car or on a motorcycle is pretty cool. Especially in a rental car! Not so much in/on your own vehicle.

 

That said, I'd never take one of my own cars out there under any circumstances!

 

The dust from the fine top layer of silt on the lake beds is simply pervasive once it gets airborne. When you drive along at any kind of speed or with any wheelspin a significant rooster tail rises into the air behind you in your wake. If there is any wind it can become blinding, not to mention damaging to your vehicle. I have to replace the windshiled on my truck about every 3 years from the pitting on the windshield due to pitting from the particulates in the air.

 

The mornings are generally calm from dawn until mid-morning. After that a breeze comes up, generally out of the west, at 10 - 15 knots. Also, if it is warm (above about 80 degrees) it is pretty common to have dust devil activity (mini desert tornados). The air movement from the wind and/or dust devils generate significant dust and general haze in the area from the airborne dust.

 

El Mirage is probably the best lake bed for driving/motorcycling with a pretty reliable surface starting around June. By then the lake bed has dried up and the surface has hardend sufficiently to provide a good solid surface to go fast. The BLM (Bureau of Land Management) has paved the road out to the lake bed in the last couple of years and erected a ranger station at the entrance. The lake bed is pretty much fenced off these days. So access is pretty much limited to the pay entrance. The access fee is about $15.00 IIRC.

 

The SCTA (Southern California Timing Association) paints a stripe on the lake bed early in the season as a guide for the lakes racers. The course is about 3.2 miles long. The SCTA hosts 6 - 8 meets per year on the lake bed. They time measured 1.3 mile runs. The current top speed record stands at a little over 300 mph. This is pretty impressive when you think about it as the vehicles have about 1 mile accelleration and 1 mile of shut down room. The limiting factor in top speed is the ability to get power to the ground. Basically it is like drag racing without traction. When you get going fast there is very little turn-in due to the silt on the surface between your tires and the lake bed. This is further aggrevated if you get any aerodynamic lift (Imagine the effect of clamshell fenders).

 

If you're interested in learning a little bit about lakes racing I would recommend the book, "The American Hot Rod", by Dean Batchelor. Dean Batchelor was an avid hot rodder before he got into sports cars. He grew up in SoCal, seved in WWII, worked for Alex Xydias at SoCal Speed Shop and wrote a little. He was editor of Road & Track for several years, was a noted Ferrari enthusiast/expert. The book was his dream project and is a sort of scrap book of his youth, growing up around cars in SoCal before the war. The book has a great picture of a very young Dan Gurney as well as a chapter devoted to hot rod specials for road racing. whenever I pick up this book I always wonder what a Seven would be like if Colin chapman had been an American?

 

One more thing: In the event of an injury at Elmo, the closest medical facility is about 20 miles away. Your choice of going to Victorville or Palmdale/Lancaster as the lake bed is just about 1/2 way between them. It's not a good place to sustain an injury!

 

Anyhow, all of that said, as I mentioned earlier, it can be great fun with a rental car.