Flag (1k) Eve of Devastation - 9/13/2002

  
On September 13, 2002, Golden Sands Speedway, a 1/3 mile high banked asphalt oval in Wisconsin Rapids, WI, held "Eve of Devastation".   If you've read my account of past "Eve of Destruction" events at Marshfield Super Speedway, you'll notice that the event names are quite similiar.   Even though this event was at a totally different track, it did have a lot of similiar racing action on this night.  A lot of stuff was going to be rolled, flipped, tipped-over, destroyed, and set on fire.

Local Saturn racer/stuntman Rodney was participating in this evening's events.  He'd be one of 5 cars crashing through a trailer house in the infield, and demolishing it - all for the entertainment of the crowd.
  

  
Click for video

  

   
Click the link below for some video of the cars blasting through the trailer house.   The SL2 is on the far left.

.AVI (requires Indeo codec) - 634k

Indeo 5 codec can be downloaded HERE.

  
The record from last year's long jump contest was held by Rodney (big surprise), and tonight he would be defending his title.  All of the cars have the same distance to the ramp to get up to speed, and the ramp is only 18 inches high.
  
Click the link below for some video of the SC2 sailing around 80 feet through the air.

.AVI (requires Indeo codec) - 504k

Indeo 5 codec can be downloaded HERE.

  

  
  Click for video

  

    
Camber (33k)

  

   
Due to the nosedive and hard landing, one of the front wheels now had a bit too much positive camber.  An alignment will fix that right up.

  
The rollover contest was next.  Cars lined up to hit a ramp with two wheels that was about two feet high.
  
  
Click the link below for some video of the SL2 winning the rollover contest.

.AVI (requires Indeo codec) - 720k

Indeo 5 codec can be downloaded HERE.

  

  
  Click for video

  

    
Bumper (30k)

  

   
What does it take for a Saturn to be able to survive multiple jumps and rollovers?  In addition to a full cage, a skidplate and hefty front bumper help out.

  
Some of the other events on this night included:

Two-man cruiser racing - the driver works the steering and the brake, and the passenger works the gas pedal.
Recliner races - two teams of two were pulled out of the crowd.  One was the recliner driver, the other was the one that did the pushing.
School bus races - something that has to be seen to be believed.  Have you ever seen a bus in a 4-wheel drift (or is it 6-wheel?), or on two wheels?
Trailer races - each vehicle pulls a trailer, and the other vehicles try to forcibly remove it.  The last running vehicle with a trailer still attached wins the race.  This has to be the funniest thing I've ever seen.  Pop-up campers, manure spreaders, boat trailers with boats, snowmobile trailers, and lawnmowers were being towed around the track, smashed, run over, and demolished.
A 1000 horsepower jet-powered porta-potty.  I don' t know how he drives that thing with the door shut.
A snowmobile with a jet engine burned up a Renault LeCar.  This was the loudest noise I've heard in my life so far.
A jet-powered school bus did some exhibition runs around the track.  When the bus hit the afterburner, the impact of the very low-frequency booms was amazing.

You can read the track's write-up HERE.

 

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