The Northern California segment of the NCM 99 Caravan to Bowling Green, Kentucky continued from the Reno Hilton to join the Pacific Northwest segment in Salt Lake City, UT. We departed from the Hilton a few minutes early, and cruised to Battle Mountain, NV for lunch. We had lunch at the Colt with a bunch of other caravaners. After lunch I got into a "discussion" with one of Nevada's finest. Not exactly the best way to finish a lunch break.

Here's me trying to talk my way out of the situation. Obviously I wasn't doing very well from this negotiating position.

Things deteriorated. It's really hard to negotiate with handcuffs being shackled.

Obviously, this was all just some nice staged photography. The Nevada Highway Patrol Officer noticed the Pony Express II window banner, and asked why we were back in town. We told him about the NCM 99 Corvette Caravan we were on. We talked a bit about the racing, he told us about a Mustang he's building, and told us how he had his present patrol car up to 130 or so last week. He said that car is junk compared to the LT1 powered Caprice he used to have. That car he hit the fuel cutoff at 144 when it was new, and 83,000 miles later it would still do 140. He also talked about his former life in the bay area, and how life out in the Battle Mountain area is so much slower. We then staged the photos.

After this conversation, we went to Radio Shack to get some parts to repair the cigarette lighter adapter for the Valentine One Radar Detector, which would prove to be a valuable investment later in the day. From there I took Jerry out Highway 305 to the speed trap location from the June Pony Express race, showing him where MuttVette first recorded verified speeds above 125. Driving the road at 70 or so is a drastic change from the usual 110-130 MuttVette sees during the C.A.R.S. events.

Travel at these speeds requires a working radar detector.

We then started heading to Wendover, where we were to meet the Corvette Club of Utah to caravan into Salt Lake City. We linked up with about 8 or 9 C4s and C5s for this leg of 203 miles. We covered the first 140 miles in 90 minutes, and were going at a good clip until several Valentines in the group hailed us to slow down. The NHP officer paced us for several very slow miles after this alarm. We were lucky this time. Others in the caravan weren't as lucky on these roads.

Here's MuttVette keeping up with the pack of C4s and C5s between Battle Mountain and Wendover. The digital speedometer in the picture is accurate. We later saw several of these car owners giving the car a better look at the event in Salt Lake City. I think the sleeper look I was trying to achieve is meeting it's goal.

The Yellow C4 three cars ahead in this picture belongs to Roger Naramore who ran in the Pony Express in June with me. Later in the evening in Salt Lake City, Roger suggested I install an Air Dam, because he could see the front end of MuttVette lifting pretty good as I was cruising along. From the PE II race, I can say that stability is still good at 125-130 mph, with the car tracking really well, but the air dam can only increase the stability, and get air out from under the car, which will help my pathetic acceleration after the 3-4 shift at 125 mph during these C.A.R.S. events.

Here's the group coming into Wendover, with more road construction, and a gorgeous view of the Bonneville Salt Flats in the distance.

We needed gas in Wendover, and split off from the group we were with, going solo the rest of the way in to Salt Lake City. We had missed the caravan departure due to spending too much time in Battle Mountain, and a time zone change that wasn't properly communicated in the driver's handbook. (Accounting for the time zone change, they wanted us to cover 203 miles in an hour, so I think they missed it.) Even so, 203 miles in two hours is a pretty good haul. We probably averaged closer to 90 - 95 mph for that leg with construction and law enforcement. After Wendover, it was across Bonneville and the Great Salt Lake. For most of this distance there was a very strong cross wind from the south. This probably accounts for the pathetic mileage on the segment - 16.6 mpg. Just west of the Great Salt Lake, the Valentine radar detector gave a k band blip. I jammed on the brakes to scrub speed from 95 mph down to 65 mph, and shadowed a compact car. The Valentine then lit up full strength, and a short while later we passed a Utah trooper sitting and waiting for us. Going by at less than 70 in a 75 zone helped the radar detector earn it's keep.

Once we got into Salt Lake, we headed down to the Valley Fair mall in West Valley, where Gus Paulos Chevrolet and several other vendors put on an event for us with free Pizza and lots of Corvettes. I met the owner of the Pacific Northwest segment's  oldest participant, a 1964 Corvette Coupe from Salem, Oregon. He joined the caravan in Seattle, so has me beat in mileage, but not age of vehicle. Unfortunately, I was tired enough from the 500+ miles today that I didn't use the camera.

At the event, I popped the hood, and put out the scrapbook and photo album, and left the car. The car received an enormous amount of interest, with crowds around it the entire night. Imagine if I had a paint job on the car.

Fuel Log