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Aug 03, 2007 But it wasn't until Ab Jenkins set his record in 1934 that the speed kings set their sights on the Salt Flats. In 1935 they headed to Utah. The 24-hour records had been set at the Montlhery track, but it was not a particularly fast surface, at least compared to the Salt Flats. 23-29 Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials, Bonneville Speed Trials Aug 31-Sept. 2 US National Flight Championships, National Archery Association Sept. 12-18 World of Speed, Utah Salt Flats Racing Association (USFRA) Sept. 20-24 Mike Cook’s Bonneville Shootout, Cook Motorsports.
Imagine a place so flat you seem to see the curvature of the planet, so barren not even the simplest life forms can exist. Imagine the passing thunder of strange vehicles hurtling by on a vast dazzling white plain. This is not an alien world far from earth; it is Utah's famous Bonneville Salt Flats.The Bonneville Salt Flats is one of the most unique natural features in Utah. Stretching over 30,000 acres, the Bonneville Salt Flats is a fragile resource administered by the Bureau of Land Management. It is located along I-80 near the Utah-Nevada border.
Wendover is the closest city.Thousands of visitors, commercial filmmakers, and of course, high speed auto racers, make the Bonneville Salt Flats a world famous destination. We hope you enjoy your visit to this natural wonder on Utah's public land.It is said that these flats are disappearing due to the extraction of salts for fertilizers.
Show map of the United StatesNearest cityCoordinates:Area36,650 acres (14,830 ha)Built1911NRHP reference No.Added to NRHPMarch 16, 1984Bonneville Speedway (also known as the Bonneville Salt Flats Race Track) is an area of the northeast of, that is marked out for. It is particularly noted as the venue for numerous.
The Bonneville Salt Flats Race Track is listed on the.The salt flats were first used for motor sports in 1912, but did not become truly popular until the 1930s when and competed to set land speed records.A reduction of available racing surface and salt thickness has led to the cancellation of events at Bonneville, such as Speed Week in 2014 and 2015.Available racing surface is much reduced with just 2.5 miles (4.0 km) available instead of the 9-mile (14 km) courses traditionally used for Speed Week. Is a ghost town located on the south boundary of Bonneville Speedway, next to the.
Newspapers ran an advertisement in 1914 for a special train to Salduro where the 'fastest machines in the world will compete for the world's record on the famous salt beds, which afford the finest races in America. Salt Lake City mayor Samuel C. Park and Utah Governor attended.
A rest area on was built on the former settlement, and a plaque there commemorates the land speed records.Historically, the speedway was marked out by the at the start of each summer. Originally, two tracks were prepared; a 10-mile (16 km) long straightaway for speed trials and an oval or circular track for distance runs, which was typically between 10 and 12 miles (16 and 19 km) long depending on the condition of the salt surface.Since at least the 1990s, track preparations have been the responsibility of the event organizers. Days or weeks in advance, the track preparers identify an area best suited for their track layouts and begin grading the tracks. Surveyors are brought in to survey the timing trap distances. A day before racing begins, the track markers are added.Originally, the straightaway was marked with a broad black line down its center. This was eventually changed to lines down either side, as the center line wore out too quickly.
As the costs for painting the lines has gone up, organizations have switched to flags and cones as track markers. The last event to use black lines was Speed Week, August 2009.The number of tracks and the timed sections for each track are set according to what is most beneficial for each event.
Large public meets such as Speed Week run as many as four tracks with several timed miles, usually starting with the second mile and running to the fifth mile. Smaller meets that typically only run world record attempts will utilize a single track, with one timed mile and one timed kilometer in the middle of the track. Additional marks and cones indicate the end of the track and the position of timing equipment.Deteriorating track conditions. Interpretive sign at the Bonneville Salt Flats Rest Area on westbound, September 2015The annual Speed Week was cancelled in both 2014 and 2015, as were many land-speed racing events, due to deteriorating track conditions. Heavy rains caused a layer of mud from surrounding mountains to flow onto the flats, covering approximately 6 mi (9.7 km) of the track. Although another section of the flats would normally be used, nearby salt mining operations had reduced the size of the alternative track.The depth of the salt crust at Bonneville has also been decreasing, possibly leaching into a saltwater.
Measured at as much at 3 ft (0.91 m) in the 1940s and 50s, it has been reduced to just 0.17 ft (0.052 m) in 2015.Though recent studies have been made (since 1960), the causes of this deterioration are not clear, although the evidence points toward both local climatic changes and salt mining. Some strategies were devised to revert the decreasing salt surface, such as pumping back salt, though this had no effect. Events and meetings In August, the Southern California Timing Association and Bonneville Nationals Inc. Organize Speed Week, the largest meet of the year, which attracts several hundred drivers who compete to set highest speed in a range of categories.In late August, the are held.In September each year is the World of Speed, (similar to Speed Week) organized by the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association. The USFRA also meet on the first Wednesday of each month throughout the summer.In October, the Southern California Timing Association puts on World Finals, a scaled-down version of Speed Week.Each year, there are usually a few private meets that are not publicized scattered among the larger public meets.Land speed records Numerous in various vehicle categories and classes have been set on the Bonneville speed way. In 1960, became the first to break the 400 miles per hour (640 km/h) barrier, hitting 406.60 miles per hour (654.36 km/h) and surpassing 's 1947 one-way Land speed record of 403 miles per hour (649 km/h). Other notable examples of Bonneville speed records include.
A at Bonneville Speedway, September 2009Several speed records have been attempted at Bonneville.In 1985, British cyclist set a then world record of 244 km/h (152 mph).On 15 October 1995, Dutch cyclist achieved 268.831 km/h (167.044 mph), using a special bicycle behind a with a large shield.In 2016, Denise Mueller-Korenek claimed a women's bicycle land speed record at 147 mph (237 km/h). She was coached by Howard.
It is not clear which authority was supervising the record attempt.In 2018, Mueller-Korenek broke her own women's record and the men's record at a speed of 183.9 miles per hour (296.0 km/h). In popular culture In the of, drives a 1970 SS in the races at Bonneville Speedway.In the film and his highly modified Indian Scout motorcycle sets a world record.See also. July 9, 2010.
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Preston, Benjamin (19 May 2015). Auto World News. Popular Mechanics, August 1954, pp. 65–70/240, see page 70.External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to.
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