Bonneville Speedway

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Bonneville Salt Flats Race Track
File:Phoenix Diesel Truck.jpg
The world's fastest Diesel truck running on the Bonneville Speedway
Nearest city Wendover, Utah
Area 36,650 acres (14,830 ha)
Built 1911
NRHP Reference # 75001826[1]
Added to NRHP March 16, 1984
File:2014-07-05 13 00 15 Sign describing the Bonneville Salt Flats at the Bonneville Salt Flats Rest Area on Interstate 80 near the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.JPG
Salduro is a ghost town located on the south boundary of Bonneville Speedway, next to the Western Pacific Railroad. Salt Lake City newspapers ran an advertisement on August 11, 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. No dust." Salt Lake City mayor Samuel C. Park and Utah Governor William Spry attended.[2] A rest area on Interstate 80 was built on the former settlement, and a plaque there commemorates the land speed records.

Bonneville Speedway is an area of the Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover, Utah, that is marked out for motor sports. It is particularly noted as the venue for numerous land speed records.

The salt flats were first used for motor sports in 1912, but did not become truly popular until the 1930s when Ab Jenkins and Sir Malcolm Campbell competed to set land speed records.

Track Layouts

Historically, the speedway was marked out by the Utah Department of Transportation at the start of each summer. Originally, two tracks were prepared; a 10 mile long straightway 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 straightway 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 SpeedWeek, August 2009.[3]

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 SpeedWeek 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.

Events and meetings

In August, the Southern California Timing Association[4] and Bonneville Nationals Inc.[5] organize SpeedWeek, 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 BUB Motorcycle Speed Trials are held.[6]

In September each year is the World of Speed, (similar to Speedweek) organized by the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association.[7] 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 SpeedWeek.

Each year, there are usually a few private meets that are not publicized scattered among the larger public meets.

Land speed records

Numerous land speed records in various vehicle categories and classes have been set on the Bonneville speed way. In 1960, Mickey Thompson became the first American to break the 400 mph (644 km/h) barrier, hitting 406.60 mph and (654.36 km/h) surpassing John Cobb's 1947 one-way Land speed record of 403 mph (649 km/h). Other notable examples of Bonneville speed records include:

File:Blue flame.jpg
Gabelich's Blue Flame
Dick Beith's Pepco Supercharged VW Lakester
Year Driver Vehicle Speed mph Speed km/h Class (category) Notes
1935 Sir Malcolm Campbell Blue Bird 301.129 484.620 [data needed]
1947 Don Waite The Edelbrock Special 192 309 [data needed]
1954 George J Smith Harley-Davidson knucklehead 152.02 244.652 [data needed] Modified 91 ci knucklehead / alcohol
1963 Craig Breedlove Spirit of America 407.447 655.722 [data needed]
1963 Dick Beith Pepco 36 hp VW Lakester 129.68 208.700 K36 Unlimited Pepco supercharged 36 hp based engine in a „Lakester” style car fashioned from a WWII aircraft belly tank
1964 Art Arfons The Green Monster 434.022 664.694 [data needed]
1965 Craig Breedlove Spirit of America — Sonic 1 600.601 966.574 [data needed]
1967 Burt Munro Indian Scout V-Twin 183.59 295.44 under 1,000 cc
1970 Gary Gabelich Blue Flame 622.407 1001.67 [data needed]
1971 Warner Riley Harley-Davidson Sportster 206.544 332.400 APS-AF 2000 S&S Modified 96 ci Sportster/nitromethane
1985 Dan Kinsey Tenacious Streamliner 276.51 444.999 S-F 2000 S&S Modified 114 ci shovelhead/nitromethane
1991 Dan Kinsey Tramp III Harley-Davidson 226.148 363.949 APS-AF 2000 S&S Modified 114 ci Evolution big twin/nitromethane
2001 Don Vesco Vesco Turbinator — Turbine Engine 458.443 737.395 [data needed]
2004 R. Schroe Buckeye Bullet — Electric Vehicle 314.958 524.930 [data needed]
2006 Andy Green JCB Dieselmax — Diesel Streamliner 350.092 563.418 [data needed]
2012 Jeff Bailey 1994 Harley-Davison Buell S2 226.148 322.797 APS-AF 3000 S&S 160 ci Prostock engine/gasoline
2012 Brandon Nozaki Miller 2012 Zero Motorcycles S ZF6 — Lightweight (under 150kg) Unfaired Electric Motorcycle 102.281 164.605 First production electric motorcycle to break 100mph

See also

References

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External links

fr:Bonneville Speedway

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