Since the early 20th century, the Bonneville Salt Flats have been a premier destination for setting land speed records. The combination of the hard, flat salt surface and the wide-open space allows vehicles to reach and maintain high speeds over long distances. Many world land speed records have been set and broken here, driving advancements in vehicle aerodynamics, engine performance, and overall automotive engineering.
Located 120 miles west of Salt Lake City in Tooele County, Utah, the salt flats are a 30,000 acre expanse of hard, white salt on the western edge of the Great Salt Lake Basin in Utah. The stark, white landscape is visually striking and offers a unique natural environment that has become synonymous with speed and automotive innovation.
The first recorded speed trials at Bonneville took place in the late 1920s. In 1935, Major Malcolm Campbell set a new land speed record of 301.129 mph in his car, the Bluebird. This marked the first time a car surpassed 300 mph at the Salt Flats. In 1947, John Cobb set a record of 394.19 mph in the Railton Mobil Special. In 1963, Craig Breedlove's jet car, Spirit of America, set a record of 407.447 mph. Breedlove continued to break his own records, reaching 600.601 mph in 1965.
In 1997, Andy Green, driving the ThrustSSC, became the first person to break the sound barrier on land, reaching 763.035 mph. Efforts to push the boundaries continue, with teams like the Bloodhound SSC aiming for speeds over 1,000 mph.
…bob
Commentaires