North American Buggy eXpo

 

 

Ivanpah

For those that don’t know or have never heard of the NABX (North American Buggy eXpo) it is a huge event held on the Ivanpah dry lake bed 40 miles outside Vegas USA, its around 35 square miles of hard dry flat mud, and the place where the buggy speed record was this year once again broken 133.40kmh / 82.89mph by Arjen van der Tol (Holland). It really is the Mecca for buggy speed attempts, although the surface is very abrasive, and pilot can shred a set of tyres under 2 hours.

Some history of NABX

Since 1994, kite buggiers, skaters and landboarders have gathered on Ivanpah Dry Lake Nevada for a week of kite-powered buggying and racing. The event was known as the Spring Break Buggy Blast (SBBB) and introduced formulated kite traction races to the American desert.

In 2004, a new organizing team changed the name to reflect the more international aspect of this event as well as to promote a more global culture and help foster a community of cooperation among kite buggiers from around the world. Now entitled the North American Buggy eXpo (NABX), this proud, environmentally conscious event plans to combine an abundance of fun while putting an emphasis on sharing knowledge, encouraging education, and supporting the kite traction movement.

How to get there

Located 45 minutes south of Las Vegas on US I-15 at the CA- NV border, the North American Buggy eXpo is actually held in two states. 35 Sq. mile Ivanpah Dry Lake is located just over the border from Primm, NV in sunny California. Roach Dry Lake (alternative site) is located in Primm as are the Primadonna Casino Resorts where most of the pilots stay.

Ivanpah is the largest dry lake in the region and is the central location for this event. It is part of a federal preserve and its use is restricted to wind powered vehicles.

Access onto Ivanpah Dry Lake is from the south-eastern corner of the resort/casino/outlet-mall property at Primm. A perimeter road circles the entire complex and a mini-mart/lotto store is on the southeastern side, just east of the freeway. The access road onto the lake bed is about 200 yds. past the mini-mart in the southeastern corner. Just before the sewage treatment plant.

Of course is not just the buggiers who get to use this Mecca of places, landboarders, land yachts, dirt surfers etc etc, and the fastest wind powered vehicles on the planet.

A British man, Richard Jenkins, has broken the world land speed record on the wind powered vehicle Ecotricity Greenbird, reaching the amazing speed of 126.1 mph, becoming the fastest person and vehicle of any kind under sail.