The Daredevil
by Kurt GensheimerNevada is known for its long stretches of straight, visible road extending well past the horizon, inviting drivers to push pedal to metal, but the thought of a hefty speeding ticket keeps most in check. For those speed demons who live life north of 100 mph, for nearly 35 years, White Pine County resident Bunny Hill has helped provide a venue where drivers can safely feed their need for speed.
Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the highest average speed ever attained on a public road at 219.6430 mph, the Silver State Classic Challenge (SSCC) has earned a reputation for being the event for drivers who want to experience the limits of automotive velocity. Featuring May (122 mile out-and-back) and September (90 mile one-way) events, the SSCC is held on the third Sunday of both months on the blacktop of Nevada State Route 318 just south of Lund, running down to Hiko.
Hill comes from a family of speed demons, her brother was a racer and father, the mechanic, growing up in the hotbed of drag racing, 1960’s Los Angeles. Hill was just as bitten by the speed bug as her brother and dad, and you could find her just as much underneath the hood of her Oldsmobile 88 as you would behind the steering wheel. She and her brother were both daredevils, racing their premiered Oldsmobile all over Southern California.
“That car was the ugliest thing but we were so proud of it, and it was fast!” said Hill. When asked if she still likes to work on cars, she replied, “Unless I’m filling up the gas or the washer fluid, my truck goes to the mechanic.”
Although Hill’s days of wrenching and going triple digits in the driver’s seat are over, a few years back she navigated from the passenger seat for a Corvette owner in the 150 class, the number indicating what average speed must be maintained to win. Although 150 mph was the average speed, often times speeds were as fast as 165 mph. When she described the drive, you could see that daredevil exhilaration in her eyes; Hill still loves to go fast.
Hill first got involved with the SSCC back in 1989 when she was a White Pine County Commissioner and flagged the drivers off the start line. She enjoyed it so much that Hill got involved with event coordination. Hill saw the importance of SSCC, not just for providing that speed fix for participants, but also for the economic impact the event brought to White Pine County. Recently, the event moved its banquet from Las Vegas to Ely after event organizers agreed that the money would have a much bigger positive impact on Ely than it would Vegas.
Of all the tasks on Hill’s list leading up to event day, everything revolves around safety. And because many of the cars on course are production vehicles, ensuring driver and passenger safety is paramount.
“Our safety standards change almost every year,” said Hill. “We are constantly updating the rulebook, our technical inspections have gotten stricter and our communications capability along the course has greatly improved.”
The event coordinates with Nevada Department of Transportation and White Pine, Lincoln and Nye counties and their sheriff’s departments, using portable and fixed repeaters along the entire 90 mile closed course. Every course worker has a radio, as well as every driver, so everyone involved in the event knows what’s going on at all times. Along the 90 mile stretch of Highway 318, there are 160 gates with 75 course workers and 40 HAM radio operators. More than 150 volunteers give their time to make this event happen safely, and Hill wrangles them all together.
Hill mentioned the two most important safety innovations over the last 30 years have been the HANS neck restraint device and strapping occupants’ arms inside the vehicle. The most common safety mistake drivers make?
“Tires,” said Hill without hesitation. “They either bring the wrong set of tires or they are too old. It doesn’t matter if they’ve been sitting in a garage for five years. Your speed class is limited by a number of factors, but tires are the most important.”
Despite the stringent safety standards of SSCC, tragedy can still strike. There have been a handful of fatalities over more than 30 years of racing, and in 2011 Hill lost her son Merle while competing in the event.
“He never skimped on safety,” said Hill. “He loved the event. I love the event. I couldn’t walk away from it because I wanted to honor his life. He knew that road front and back.”
Hill’s unfathomable loss sometimes has to be conveyed to participants who don’t understand the risks.
“Sometimes we get racers who don’t understand why they can’t just use a motorcycle helmet,” said Hill. “I ask them, do you have children? How good is your medical coverage? How about your life insurance policy? After I ask those questions they get it and stop questioning our safety standards.”
One of the biggest misconceptions that newcomers to the SSCC have is the notion that they can just show up in an expensive car and drive the “Unlimited” class, where speeds often exceed 200 mph.
“We encourage first timers to come and be a course worker,” said Hill. “It’s a great way to get to know the event and the people behind it. And once you become a participant, you have to start in one of the lower speed classes unless you can prove you are a seasoned open road racer.”
The event is far more than just speeding in a straight line, as there is a section called “The Narrows” where corners force a drop in speed. Because drivers are trying to be as close to the average speed of their speed class, a lot of strategy comes into play.
“Over a ninety mile race, if you are in the 140 mph speed class, you have to finish as close to 140 mph as possible,” said Hill. “Some people use laptops to calculate their progress, others use a stopwatch, but often times after 90 miles of racing, the difference between first and second is hundredths of a second.”
Weather can sometimes play a factor, and wind often plays a factor in the Unlimited class. On a particularly rainy year with poor visibility and standing water was all over the course, organizers and racers all agreed it was too dangerous to race fast, so everyone was relegated to an average of 70 mph.
“Everyone still had a blast, even at 70 mph,” said Hill. “Half of the challenge in this event is coming up with a strategy to hit the average speed as close as you can, regardless of the speed.”
The SSCC has attracted racers from all over the country, including husband and wife teams, father and daughter teams and grandpa and grandson teams. One quarter of participants are women, several of them drivers. Drivers range in age from 18 to mid 80s.
“It’s a bucket list event for a lot of people,” said Hill. “The come once and they are hooked. There’s so much camaraderie in this event. We’re all a family.”
Outside of the event, Hill focuses on her animals consisting of 40 peacocks and geese, 16 housecats, 6 outside cats and four dogs. Why peacocks?
“Why not?” replied Hill with a smile. “They keep the bugs down, although they don’t understand the concept of planned parenthood.”
Hill used to have horses and was an avid rider. When asked her preference between going fast in a car and riding her horse, Hill’s response was swift.
“Riding a horse,” said Hill. “I loved getting out into the country with just me and the horse.”
After 35 years, Hill is most proud that the event is still going strong. Other events similar to the SSCC have come and gone, but they were for profit. The SSCC is a non-profit, and strives to keep the event affordable for participants. Despite the recent runup in costs for everything related to racing, especially gasoline, Hill said the rising cost of fuel only led to one participant backing out of the May event, a testament to how much the SSCC means to longtime participants.