Silver State Classic Challenge

[TheJDMan]

Anyone who has participated in this event have any advice for a first timer?

[mpozzi]

Advice for the driver - listen to the navigator.

Advice for the navigator - don't volunteer for this job.

Okay, I'll be serious now (really) ... pre-run the course the day before and make notes on where the markers are. Blue has an excellent Navigators school and has handouts with times based on MPH that are your targets for each marker.

Make a thick cardboard clipboard as nothing solid can be used for this. Have several pens, highlighters, and pencils, and keep one of each tethered to the clipboard. And make sure your belts and safety equipment for you and for the car are current and n good condition. This means tires, too. That 25 mile transit from Ely, NV to the start area has caught a couple of cars when they picked up a nail on the way and the tire scrutinizes caught it right before they were due to start off.

You'll do their drivers school as you're s first-timer. It's nothing special but key as they make sure you can wheel a car around a track at speed and there's a lot of good information presented. It takes a day and is usually done on Thursday before the event.

Make sure you know your class, target, and minimum allowable speeds. There's a radar gun at the finish and if you go below that minimum speed by even a tenth, you're out. You also will probably have to go to their drivers school again too. This is where some get caught up as they're trying to shave speed to zero the finish.

Buy candy for the Saturday evening cruise through town. The kids love it and if you can, see if you can take a kid with you for this. The kid throws the candy to everyone on the sidelines if they're not eating it beforehand ...

And pee about ten minutes before you are due to start. There are two people who's job is to make sure your lap and shoulder belts are tight and they do their job really well. Once you're buckled in, you're in!

Mary Pozzi

[mpozzi]

Oh, and make sure you try to get "on time" as soon as possible and stay there. If someone ahead wrecks and they stop the event, you'll either continue from the one-third point as your new Start or you'll be FInished at the 2/3rds point or the Finish depending on where you're Red Flagged.

As a first-timer, they'll limit your class speed to 110 (I think). You shouldn't have to have too much time in the bank at The Narrows for this class speed and probably 10-15 seconds should be enough. The Finish comes up pretty quick from there even though it's 15-20 miles away.

And wait st the end for the Unlimited guys to come through. It's pretty cool ...

Mary P.

[Chad-1stGen]

I'll add one more.

And then come back on here and share the pics, video and stories for the rest of us to live vicariously :)