     Bonneville Speedway



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 didn't become truly popular until the 1930s when Ab Jenkins and Sir Malcolm Campbell competed to set land speed records.
The speedway is marked out by the Utah Department of Transportation at the start of each summer. Usually two tracks are prepared; a 10 mile long straightway for speed trials and an oval or circular track for distance runs, which is typically between 10 and 12 miles (16 and 19km) long depending on the condition of the salt surface. In recent years, there has also been a 5 mile (8km) long straightway for qualifying slower vehicles.
The straightway is marked with a broad black line down its centre and has several measured mile sections after the second mile. Additional marks and cones indicate the end of the track and the position of timing equipment on the measured mile.
Each year in August, the Southern California Timing Association[1] and Bonneville Nationals Inc.[2] organize a "Speed Week", which attracts several hundred drivers who compete to set highest speed in a range of categories.
A similar event in September each year is the World of Speed, organized by the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association.[3] The USFRA also meet on the first Wednesday of each month throughout the summer.
Numerous land speed records in a various categories and classes of vehicle have been set on the Bonneville speed way. In 1960, Mickey Thompson became the first American to break the 400 mph (644km/h) barrier hitting 406.60 mph (654.36km/h) surpassing John Cobb's 1947 one-way Land speed record of 403 mph (649km/h). Other notable examples of speed records are:
Year
Driver
Vehicle
Speed mph
Speed km/h
1935
Sir Malcolm Campbell
Blue Bird
301.129
484.620
1947
Don Waite
The Edelbrock Special
192
309
1963
Craig Breedlove
Spirit of America
407.447
655.722
1964
Art Arfons
The Green Monster
434.022
664.694
1965
Craig Breedlove
Spirit of America - Sonic 1
600.601
966.574
1969
Burt Munro
Indian
201.854
324.89
1970
Gary Gabelich
Blue Flame
622.407
1001.67
2009
Don Vesco
Vesco Turbinator (Special Construction Category - Electric Vehicle - /E)
314.958
524.930
2009
R. Schroe
Buckeye Bullet CATEGORY A - Group IX - Class 3 - Turbine Engine
458.443
737.395
September 5, 1963
Bonneville Salt Flats, USA
Craig Breedlove
Spirit of America
Turbojet
408.312
657.114
407.447
655.722
Ratified by FIM as vehicle has 3 wheels.
October 5, 1964
Bonneville Salt Flats, USA
Tom Green
Wingfoot Express
Turbojet
415.093
668.027
413.199
664.979
Unratified
October 7, 1964
Bonneville Salt Flats, USA
Art Arfons
Green Monster
Turbojet
434.356
699.028
434.022
698.490
Unratified
October 13, 1964
Bonneville Salt Flats, USA
Craig Breedlove
Spirit of America
Turbojet

468.719
754.330
Unratified
October 15, 1964
Bonneville Salt Flats, USA
Craig Breedlove
Spirit of America
Turbojet

526.277
846.861
Unratified
October 27, 1964
Bonneville Salt Flats, USA
Art Arfons
Green Monster
Turbojet
544.134
875.699
536.710
863.791
First FIA-ratified jetcar Land Speed Record[citation needed]
November 2, 1965
Bonneville Salt Flats, USA
Craig Breedlove
Spirit of America - Sonic 1
Turbojet
555.485
893.966
555.485
893.966

November 7, 1965
Bonneville Salt Flats, USA
Art Arfons
Green Monster
Turbojet
572.546
921.423
576.553
927.872

November 15, 1965
Bonneville Salt Flats, USA
Craig Breedlove
Spirit of America - Sonic 1
Turbojet
600.842
966.961
600.601
966.574

October 23, 1970
Bonneville Salt Flats, USA
Gary Gabelich
Blue Flame
Rocket
630.389
1014.52
622.407
1001.67
First record over 1,000km/h (621mph)
October 4, 1983
Black Rock Desert, USA
Richard Noble
Thrust2
Turbojet

633
[citation needed]|

September 25, 1997
Black Rock Desert, USA
Andy Green
ThrustSSC
Turbofan
713.990
1149.055
714.144
1149.303
[16]
October 15, 1997
Black Rock Desert, USA
Andy Green
ThrustSSC
Turbofan
760.343
1223.657
763.035
1227.986
First supersonic record

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