|
Pictures
and words by Warren Beauchamp & a passing computer
thief |
| Today was
warmer, but still windy. Warren had a 7.85 MPH headwind,
Sean had slightly less, and the wind dropped off from
there, but all runs had some degree of headwind.
|
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Our arch-rival Bryan "BROL" Ball is the first to
receive the Tanya Markham treatment this year.
Sharp-eyed readers will note the facial hair, earrings
and similar which Bryan now sports to celebrate his
release from the service of Uncle Sam... |
| Sam Whittingham (L) and
Andrea Blaseckie engage in the perpetual struggle for a
slightly smoother surface on the underside of the
Diablo. |
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Steve Nash fits a new
cable to the Varnowski's rear brake. |
| Thom Ollinger (L) and
Dave Balfour attending to the fit and finish of the
Varna II. We think Thom got involved because he
likes the smell of Bondo in the morning... |
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Damjan cleans the glue
residue left from the lexan panels he had affixed to the
sides of his bike for crash protection, using a variety
of nasty chemicals. |
| Many of us went to the
top of Mt Lewis, a 10,000 ft mountain close to Battle
Mountain. Somewhere behind that sign is Battle
Mountain... |
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The top of the mountain
was surveyed as a radar site by the defense mapping
agency. |
| It was festooned with
radio antennae and radar domes. |
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It also had some very
nice rocks. |
| A nearby mount had a
bunch of cattle grazing on it. It's special high
altitude beef... |
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Your intrepid reporter
was stationed at the mid-course point on Wednesday.
This is a reasonable place to take photos of the
machines under way, though it helps if the photographer
is not a ham-fisted oaf... Anyway, here is Mr.
Shrimpboat heading for a 58.40 mph pass. Still a
tenth down on 2002's best, but he has been
suffering from the worst headwinds all week. |
| Sean Costin & the
Coslinger 1.5 pass the 2.5 mile marker. |
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Eric Ware in Brad
Teubner's Varna-bodied trike. |
| Sam Whittingham & Diablo
en route for another 70+ mph run. This picture is
all blurry because it is Art, and not at all
because the photographer still doesn't know how
to use his camera after three years, no sir! |
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Damjan Zabovnik in the
Eivie II. The start time was moved ahead by five
minutes, and the mid-event road opening trimmed by the
same amount, so there was much more light for the second
group of five machines than previously. |
| Fast Freddy & the Varna
Mephisto approaching the mid-course, during the fastest
run of the week so far. |
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And now, over to Warren...
Sam comes into the catching
area. |
| Damjan comes in hot to
the catching area after a 71.92 MPH run. He can thank Larry
Lem, who dove
under the bike at the starting area to prevent it from
falling over and getting all scratched up. |
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Freddy sets a personal
best at 73.22 MPH. |
| Lisa Vetterlein sets a
personal best of 62.83 MPH. |
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Ellen cruises through
the traps at 58.71 MPH |
| A Mr
Larrington writes:
While I did manage to get photos of Charlie,
Mackie and Lisa out on the course, they were of the
"where did the top of their head go?" variety. I
would, however, have had a splendid one of Ellen, except
that my camera chose that exact moment to request a
battery change, chiz1.
Things I like about this
sport #47: Having put in a run in excess of 59 mph, Sean
Costin insisted on not being promoted to the fast
group at the expense of Ellen van Vugt. His
reasoning: she's in with a chance at a record.
Good show, that man!
It's nice to see Ben
Goodall, head man of Aussie trike builders Tri-Sled
here, as it gives your writer a chance to Mention the
Cricket2. Or it would if Ben had any
interest in the game whatsoever. Bah!
1 - a chiz is a swiz or
swindle, as any fule kno
2 - Note for Americans,
and other alien life-forms: cricket is a game almost,
but not quite, entirely unlike baseball, invented by
Britons
and exported to The Empire along with Lucas automotive
electrics and warm
beer.
Traditionally, the Colonials then return to the
Britons'
England and beat us at these sports, so it is nice to
record that in the 2005 series, we managed to reverse
this disturbing trend. |
