FROM THE ARCHIVES 9/2022
- September 2, 2022
- Desert Drives, From The Archives
- Posted by Phil Reese
- Comments Off on FROM THE ARCHIVES 9/2022
From the Archives #7, September 2022
We’ve decided to take a short break from relating the Las Vegas Region’s past from fifty years ago, and instead jump to a time only fifteen years ago… 2007 (BTW, how can 2007 be 15 years ago? It was just yesterday.)
The newsletter, Sandscript, announced that after a two-year wait, the Las Vegas Region polo shirts were in hand and ready for sale. Only $20 each, with a pocket in front and the Region’s logo on the back. (We don’t have Region shirts any more, do we?)
AND, …..2007 was the year that the “Team Porsche” demolished the competition for the fifth consecutive time in the open-road race (ORR) called the Pony Express 130. As it was run in 2007, this was an 83-mile ORR (yes, 83 miles of open road racing, right here in Nevada). On State Rt. 305 (look it up), traffic is halted, and a legal road race is held. Each competitor chooses a speed class, such as 110 mph, 130 mph, 150 mph, or others, and then has to average that speed for 83 miles. Racers are sent out at 1-minute intervals, and go for it.
Now, Rt. 305 is mostly quite straight, but also includes an 8–10 mile segment section called “the canyon” that features mostly slow curves and even sharper turns. In the canyon, it is not possible to maintain any high speed, so the slow down, in order to maintain your chosen average speed, must be compensated for by going faster on the straights.
Think about this, our current Vice President Barbara Barron, averaged 110 mph over 83 miles, to an accuracy of 0.079 seconds. That’s crossing the finish line only 12.75 feet off from absolutely perfect! Porsche team member Fred Wagner was off only 0.18 seconds in the 130-mph class. Roger Greene, in the 155-mph class, finished only 0.13 seconds off from a perfect time. Debra Bieniek, in the 110-mph class, came in 38.27 seconds early. But they said they could hear her giggling five miles out.
With times like these, it was no wonder Team Porsche won the event.
Now, you all be careful as you rush out to try Rt. 305. We have, and it’s a great road to drive.
