It was September 2001. I was at the Bonneville flats trying for membership in the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association's 130 mph club (standing start, one mile drag race, trap speed of 130+ for membership). I had the Passat stripped of weight and fueling cranked way up. 130 was possible at Boston's sea level, but the thinner air at the Utah altitude really made the car run excessively rich.
The course was marked by parallel black lines disappearing to a vanishing point over the horizon. I lined up at the start and let it rip.
When I returned for my second of five allowed attempts I asked which lane I should use as the first run's guide path was now dissected into two equal width paths.
"No, there's till only one. That black line down the center is from YOUR exhaust soot."
I switch to biodiesel during the drive back east and haven't looked back, although now I can literally look back, and see clearly.
<edit> a friend videoed the run. I'll see if I can extract a still or two for posting. There is a point about 12 seconds into the run where the car is invisible through the cloud.<end edit>
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