Historic Bonneville Salt Flats, just 90 miles west of Grumpy’s garage is the scene for the 60th Annual Bonneville Nationals. Sanctioned by the Southern California Timing Association, we locals call it ‘SPEEDWEEK’. The picture at right is of a nifty Caddy XLR. We can only guess what might be under the hood.
By Monday afternoon, some 460 vehicles had been inspected and cleared for speed attempts. Entries come from nearly every state and several foreign countries. These folks are just ordinary motorheads who have a need for speed. Every type of vehicle you can imagine can be seen on the salt. Vintage hot rods that have been passed from father to son are common. Sleek streamliner bodied vehicles that are powered by everything from a snomobile engine to multi-engine V8’s can be seen. There is a class for everything. A few years back, Grumpy witnessed a diesel powered Freightliner charge through the timers at over 400 mph. that same year a guy set a world record for gas powered bar stools at a speedy 35 mph.
The SCTA runs a long course for vehicles expected to exceed 200 mph. There is also a short course for attempts of less than 200mph. Daily activities run from dawn to dusk.
Old timers say that the salt conditions are the best in about 30 years. The naturally smooth surface is critical for high speed runs. Some years, if the salt is rough or cracked, it must be smoothed with road graders, water trucks and large wooden drags towed behind pickups to repair any cracks or problems.
What makes this place so special? Most of the people who come here have no sponsor to pay the bills. There is no purse to win. There is only the satisfaction of accomplishment, your name in the record book if you should set a new world record for your class. There is a club for those who have exceeded 200 mph. Another, smaller club for those who have posted speeds over 300 mph, a much smaller club of the elite few who have hit 400 mph. And then, you can count on your hand the number of names that are listed at 500 mph. You know some of the names. Because of safety concerns, Bonneville is no longer a destination for speeds in the 500+ range. The dry lake bed at El Mirage, Nv. has a much longer shut down area.
Not many spectators make the stop out there. A day on the salt is brutally hot in August. There is only the shade you bring. On the other hand, it is a bargain to go out. Adult admission is just $15.00 and you can stroll the pit area, chat with the drivers and take all the pics you want. The people love to tell their story. They will tell you more than you want to know about the car, how it was built, what it might have cost and how long they have been persuing that perfect run.
There is only one T-shirt stand. You can pick from about 4 designs of the Bonnevile Nationals logo on a shirt or hat. Bring all the food and beverages you wish. Nobody will check your cooler. You just cannot camp on the salt over night. The enviornment is so fragile that all race vehicles must be parked on a tarp or other cover so as not to drip fluids into the salt.
At dusk, when the track closes, everybody has to go back to town, or at least about 15 miles back to I-80 where an area is set up for campers and motorhomes. The small border town of Wendover, Ut/Nv is about 5 miles to the west. On the Nevada side, there are many fine hotels and casinos with lots of dining and entertainment waiting for the salt crowd.
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