Bonneville Speed Week

What is Bonneville? You may have heard or seen this name a few times before. You probably seen the name on a Pontiac and just thought it was some fancy name for a Sedan. Maybe you have heard the name Bonneville on the History Channel, and because of this you learned that Bonneville is the name of the Salt Flats in Utah where scenes from Independence Day, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.

            Little did you know that the Bonneville Salt Flats are Americans Ultimate Proving ground, a place where machines built as wild as you can imagine are tested, a place where you can run anything to see how fast it will go as long as you have the guts to stay in it!

            The Bonneville Salt Flats are the remains of what was the prehistoric lake Bonneville. Thousands of Years ago, the lake dried up and has been the Salt Flats. The flats are named after Benjamin Bonneville, who was an Army Officer that explored the Oregon Trail.

            Since 1914 Bonneville has been a proving ground for top speed and who can ever build the fastest things on wheels. The First Bonneville Land Speed record was set in this year by race car driver Teddy Tetzlaff.

            In the 30s Bonneville gained nationwide attention when American racer Ab Jenkins and British racer Sir Malcolm Campbell went out to compete for speed records. This got the worldest attention and by 1949 an official track and annual events where now being held at Bonneville.

            By this time, the Famed So-Cal Speed Shop had started building Coupes and Roadsters just for Bonneville. They were 32 Fords painted there famous red and white. In 1948 So-Cal Speed Shop built the first bellytanker meant for top speed, it was a Belly Tank from a P-38 fighter aircraft and powered by a Mercury V8. So-Cal later built the first Streamliner in the early 50s powered by an Edelbrock equipped Mercury V8.

            By this time in the 50s many Hot Rodders where now build cars just meant for the Salt Flats, usually 32 Ford Coupes and Roadsters. The parts company MOONEYES even made a wheel just meant for Bonneville and Top Speed known as the MOON Disc. The MOON Disc is believed to help Increase top speed and versions of it are still used today on many cars at Bonneville.

            In the 60s the 300, and 400 MPH barriers were broken and man was going faster on land then it had ever dreamed! However Man wanted to go even faster and soon Jet and Turbine powered cars were appearing in the 60s at Bonneville. Guys like Craig Breedlove was the first to break the 500 MPH, and 600 MPH Barriers all using Turbine powered 3 Wheeled Streamliners known as the Spirit of America.

            This record was then broken by Gary Gabelich in 1970 with his Rocket Powered vehicle Blue Flame. Blue Flame would go 630 MPH and the record would stand or 27 years! It would stand till 1997 when a team of British engineers built a vehicle known as Thrust SCC which was powered by two Afterburner Rolls-Royce Spey engines broke the sound barrier on land, which is still Bonneville’s fastest record today!

            Today Bonneville still exists and everything from Jet Cars, to Streamliners to diesels to even traditional style roadsters still make runs at Bonneville. Once a year the Southern California Timing Association still hosts the 6 day long event know as the Bonneville Speed Week.

            There is a lot more History to the Bonneville Salt Flats. From Motorcycles like Burt Munro’s Indian, to generations of Hot Rodders and Cars that have made passes on them. There is just so much about the Bonneville Salt Flats that it is Hard to fit it all in one article!

            Bonneville is a name known by every Hot Rodder. It is a Historic Land Mark and is part of mans desire to go faster than before. It was a place where the Imagination can run wild with Ideas and dreams can true.