(June-2007) We were going east on I-80 toward Salt Lake City when I saw the sign. Bonneville Salt Flats it said. "Let's stop," I was quick to say. We turned onto the access road an drove about a mile to a dead end. On either side the salt was covered by a few inches of water. There was a wide area to turn around in and a large sign. "You want to stop to read the sign?" she asked. "This is Bonneville, " I answered, " I gotta."
"What's so great about this place,. There's nothing here."
"But this is where world land speed records were set."
"I should have known. It would have something to do with automobiles and speed!"
I then began the education of my wife concerning the Bonneville Salt Flats.
"The flats are actually a dry lake bed, but the water is long gone except for the rains. It's over forty thousand acres and named for an early explorer, Capt. B. L. Bonneville. One of the first speed records set here was in 1914, when Teddy Tetzlaff drove his Blitzen Benz to 141 miles per hour. In the early '60s hot rodders were exceeding 400 mph in automobiles built in garages. The world's record for piston powered wheel-driven automobiles is 426 mph and was powered by two automobile engines joined together. The fastest jet or rocket powered car to run here went 631 mph. However, the world land speed record is a bit over 760 mph and was set at the Black Rock Desert. By the way, that's faster than the speed of sound. This is is also the place where New Zealander Burt Munro, at age 68, rode his much modified 47 year old Indian motorcycle to a speed of 305 miles per hour. Some of Munro's records still stand today. And that's pretty much the history of the Bonneville Salt Flats in a nutshell."
"I don't understand how they do that on the water," she said.
"It's always wet until late spring and early summer when it dries out. Because of that many racers are now using the Black Rock Desert for speed trials."
"So, are we ready to get back on the road to Salt Lake City?"she queried.
"I guess so."
When we had turned the car around and were on our way back to the Interstate I said, "You know there are no speed limit signs on this road, and we are sort of on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Do you think we could let those ponies run?"
She looked at me, and I knew I did not need to translate. The gas pedal was floored and over two hundred and sixty romping stomping Japanese ponies started to gallop. The view out the side window became a white blur as the tachometer hand began its climb. According to the factory specifications the car had a top speed of 140 mph. We did not reach 140, but I will say that we were in triple digits in miles per hour.
But next time, if there is a next time...I WANT TO DRIVE!
Great Post!
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