Bonneville Speedway


Bonneville Speedway is an area of the Bonneville Salt Flats northeast of Wendover, Utah, that is marked out for motor sports. It is particularly noted as the venue for numerous land speed records. The Bonneville Salt Flats Race Track is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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.
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 available instead of the courses traditionally used for Speed Week.

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 long straightaway for speed trials and an oval or circular track for distance runs, which was typically between 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

The 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 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 aquifer. Measured at as much at in the 1940s and 50s, it has been reduced to just in 2015.
Though recent studies have been made, 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 Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials are held.
In September each year is the World of Speed, 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 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 barrier, hitting and surpassing John Cobb's 1947 one-way Land speed record of. Other notable examples of Bonneville speed records include:
YearDriverVehicleSpeed mphSpeed km/hClass Notes
1935Sir Malcolm CampbellBlue Bird301.129484.620
1947Don WaiteThe Edelbrock Special192309
1954George J SmithHarley-Davidson knucklehead152.02244.652Modified 91 ci knucklehead / alcohol
1963Craig BreedloveSpirit of America407.447655.722
1963Dick BeithPepco 36 hp VW Lakester129.68208.700K36 UnlimitedPepco supercharged 36 hp based engine in a „Lakester” style car fashioned from a WWII aircraft belly tank
1964Art ArfonsThe Green Monster434.022664.694
1965Craig BreedloveSpirit of America — Sonic 1600.601966.574
1967Burt MunroIndian Scout V-Twin184.037296.179under 1,000 cc
1970Gary GabelichBlue Flame622.4071001.67
1971Warner RileyHarley-Davidson Sportster206.544332.400APS-AF 2000S&S Modified 96 ci Sportster/nitromethane
1985Dan KinseyTenacious Streamliner276.51444.999S-F 2000S&S Modified 114 ci shovelhead/nitromethane
1991Dan KinseyTramp III Harley-Davidson226.148363.949APS-AF 2000S&S Modified 114 ci Evolution big twin/nitromethane
2001Don VescoVesco Turbinator — Turbine Engine458.443737.395
2004R. SchroerBuckeye Bullet — Electric Vehicle314.958524.930
2006Andy GreenJCB Dieselmax — Diesel Streamliner350.092563.418FIA A-III-13World's Fastest Diesel
2006Laura KlockHarley-Davidson Road Glide143.659231.197MPS-PF 3000"World's Fastest Bagger"
2007Erika CobbBuell Blast107172.2MPS-PG 500
2007Laura KlockHarley-Davidson Road Glide146.297235.442MPS-PF 3000"World's Fastest Bagger"
2008Karlee CobbBuell Blast109.867176.814MPS-PG 500Youngest person in the world at the time the record was set to hold a land speed record
2009Erika CobbBuell XB9 Firebolt126.383203.394P-PP 1000
2009Karlee CobbBuell Blast115185.075MPS-PG 500
2009Laura KlockVictory Vision122196.34MP-2000
2009Michelle MielkeYamaha Warrior143.154230.384M-P-2000
2009Michelle MielkeYamaha Warrior143.725231.303MPS-P 2000
2010Erika CobbBuell136.476219.637P-PP 1000
2010Erika CobbHarley-Davidson Dyna with ProCharger143.542231.008M-PBF 1650
2010Erika CobbHarley-Davidson Dyna with ProCharger141226.918M-BF 1650
2010Karlee CobbHarley-Davidson Dyna with ProCharger151.754244.224M-BG 1650
2010Chris DegenHarley-Davidson127.571205.306P-PP 1350
2010Charles NearburgSpirit of Rett414.316666.776
2011Erika CobbHarley-Davidson Dyna-Mite143.542231.008M-P-BF 1650
2011Karlee CobbHarley-Davidson Dyna-Mite151.754244.224M-BG 1650
2012Jeff Bailey1994 Harley-Davison Buell S2226.148322.797APS-AF 3000S&S 160 ci Prostock engine/gasoline
2012Brian KlockHarley-Davidson Dyna-Mite154247.839MP-BG 1650
2012Brandon Nozaki Miller2012 Zero Motorcycles S ZF6 — Lightweight Unfaired Electric Motorcycle102.281164.605First production electric motorcycle to break 100 mph
2016Roger SchroerVenturi Buckeye Bullet 3341.4549.43FIA A-VIII-8Fastest electric vehicle
2016Bob SirnaMercedes-Benz 300 SL190.759306.997FIA A-VIII-83L Sport cars
2018Shigeru YamashitaKawasaki Ninja H2209.442337.06P-PB 1000Fastest street-legal production motorcycle

Cycling records

Several motor-paced racing speed records have been attempted at Bonneville.
In 1985, British cyclist John Howard set a then world record of.
On 15 October 1995, Dutch cyclist Fred Rompelberg achieved, using a special bicycle behind a dragster with a large shield.
In 2016, Denise Mueller-Korenek claimed a women's bicycle land speed record at. 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.

In popular culture

In the series finale episode of Mad Men, Donald Draper drives a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS muscle car in the races at Bonneville Speedway.
In the film The World's Fastest Indian Burt Munro and his highly modified Indian Scout motorcycle sets a world record.