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Show SALT FLAT NEWS, AUGUST-SEPTEMBE- 1971 R, America Sonis I. His first few failed to come even attempts close to Arts 1964 record. How- ever, after some structural bracing, on November 2 Craig roared to an average of 555.127 for a Early History of Bonneville Salt Flats The world famous race course, Bonneville Salt Flats, is located 120 miles west of Salt Lake City. This dried up salt bed is part of the remains of the great prehistoric lake called Bonneville, which was 350 miles long and 175 miles wide with a depth of 1,080 feet and a shore line measuring 2,500 miles. This famous lake covered the greater part of Western Utah and a small part of adjacent states. The present Great Salt Lake now covers approximately 2,360 square miles. The Bonneville Salt Flats is one of the lowest portions of the of Lake Bonneville, Sink which is the reason- for the large salt deposit Over the surface of the salt beds the difference in altitude is extremely small. For example, a raise of only two feet e is shown on one stretch. - ten-mil- new record. Again Craigs record lasted but a short time 6 days for Art came back to up the mark to 576.553. But this time it was Craigs turn to end foe land speed record season by holding the record by pushing the Spirit to a speed of 600.841 mph the first man to exceed 600 mph and the fastest man on ture a recogized land speed record became foe first person to go 500 wheels. 1965 will also be rememmiles per hour on land 526.28, bered for foe year in which the on the Salt Beds. Louie Meyers and Wilbur only to have this record taken first rocket-powere- d car apShaw made stock car tests in back by Art Arfons with a run of scene. foe on However, 1934 for Chrysler with airflow 536.71. Brother Walt, not to be peared with Walt Arfons was outdone added three jato rockets trouble, even after plagued models. bringing the John Cobb and his two aides to his car and returned in Novem- total number of rockets in his set an hour record of 152.11 ber of 1964. However, after two Wingfoot Express to 25. months of beautifiil and one-hamiles per hour and a twenty-fou- r Another type of racing equipmark of 134.8 miles per hour in racing weather, Mother Nature in- ment was introduced in a record-breakin- g flooded a events and rain were All 1935. tervened latter heavy July run in 1950 by Jimmy scheduled and supervised by the foe course, making further runs Jackson, who established five contest board officials of the impossible. new International Diesel records. American Automobile October of 1965, Craig In Top speed reached by foe diesel Association. was 167.96 miles per hour. of with his Spirit Since 1934 John Cobb, Captain Eyston and Ab Jenkins have made numerous runs on the circular courses to establish unbelievable world records for all the distance runs from the 50 kilometers hour records. to the forty-eigAll these records are now held by Ab Jenkins. The present records now run from 190.0 mph for the 200 mile record to 148.63 mph for the forty-eighour record. lf Bonneville Speedway is World Famous for its Automobile Speed Records The speed runs are made oh white, coarsely crystalline aggregate salt which is extremely porous. The pore surface, except for a few indies of the upper crust, is entirely filled with saturated brine. Notwithstanding this porosity the material is hard and rigid so that it can support many tons, even when the surface is covered with water. It is extremely difficult to bore with the ordinary hand auger. The surface is marked by luge suncracks, the edges of which are somewhat elevated above the general level. Before a race these edges are leveled off to make a smooth course. The salt reaches a maximum thickness of five feet near the center portion of the deposit. It is over this thick section that the hour twenty four and forty-eigh- t endurance runs are made. One of the racing features of this course is enough moisture in the salt to have a cooling effect on tires which is a contributing factor to the safety record established on the Salt Beds. Tire builders have found splendid traction with surprising lack of wear. Therefore, racing treads are made from a much thinner layer of rubber for use on the salt than those intended for runs on concrete or brick surfaces. There are no obstructions to hit, or embankments to plunge over on the speedway. The straightaway courses which have -- . been used by Sir Malcolm Campbell, Captain Eyston and John Cobb are twelve to fourteen miles long and extremely wide. Racing season on this famous race course is summer only, usually from July 15, to sometime in October, depending upon the spring or fall rains. Racing History of Bonneville Speedway Briefly, the automobile racing history on the Bonneville Salt Flats has been as follows: Teddy Tetdaff is credited with a mark of 147 miles par hour in a run upon the Salt Flats on August 12, 1914, driving a Blitzen Benz. Ab Jenkins, a native of Salt Lake, covered 2,712 miles in a hour run there in twenty-fou- r He averaged 1932. September, 113 miles an hour and was timed by representatives of the Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce. He drove a Pierce-Arrostripped of top and fenders. In 1933 Jenkins boosted his average' to 118 miles an hour in another hour run with antwenty-fou- r other Pierce-Arroprepared for racing. In 1934 he drove 3,053 miles for an average of 127.22 miles per hour. He drove entirely without relief in all three ven- - d Hie Bonneville Salt Beds into prominence as a motorcycle speed course in 1948 when Roland R. Free established a new world record for foe measured mile for Class A Motorcycles at foe excellent meed of 150.855 miles par hour. Mr. Free bettered this record in 1959 by traveling at foe rate of 156.71 miles per hour. The present motorcycle record is 230.26. . In 1949 a new type of competition was inaugurated the Bonneville Nationals Speed Trials sponsored by the Southern California Timing Association. These trials gave those automotive hot rodders an to test their opportunity machines under foe best conditions possible. This first annual meet resulted in shattering almost every record in foe books for the various classes. At foe Second Annual Bonneville National Speed Trials in 1950, two hot rods attained foe speed of 210 miles per hour! The present American record for foe Streamliner Class is 354.33 miles per hour. ht ht In 1934 Sir Malcolm Campbell, the first to drive the Bonneville Salt Flats Straightaway, established a new record for the measured mile of 301.12 miles per hour, which was raised by Captain Eyston in 1937 to 311.42 miles per our. Then on September 15, 1938, John Cobb set a record of 350.07 miles per hour only to lose his rec- ord to George T. Eyston on the following day, when Eyston attained the phenomenal speed of 357.5 miles per hour. The next year, 1939, Cobb regained his measured mile record in the time of 9.76 seconds, or 368.9 miles per hour. Then, in 1947, he became the first man to travel over 400 miles per hour on the ground. His mph. His official speed, 403.13 time for a two-wa- y average was 394.19 miles per hour. For sometime after Cobbs amazing run there were no attempts at tiie land speed record. Beginning in the 1950s came a senes of frustrating runs. Mickey Thompson drove 406 mph one way, but his Challenger broke down on the return run. Dr. Nathan Ostich became the first man to use a vehicle on the Salt Beds. During this period two men lost their lives in an effort to increase this record, Athol Graham and Glen Leasher. Even Donald Campbell, Englishman son of the famous Sir Malcolm Campbell, fried in vain and miraculously escaped with his life after a serious accident But in November of 1965 Bob and Bill Sumjet-power- ed mers, California products, the vheel-dnve-n record brought to the United States by exceeding Donald Campbells record of 403.1 by avenging 409.2 giving the United States both wheel-drive- n and jet land speed records! Finally, in 1963 young Craig Breedlove' in his controversial d Spirit of America, established a new worlds land speed record of 407.35 mph. This record, however, unlike John Cobbs was of short duration, for the following year Tom Green drove Walt Arfons Wingfoot Ex at 413.45 mph. This record Eress three days and during the month of October the record was raised four more times! Art Arfons drove 434.02 mph which counted against the. driving time. was bettered by Craig Breedloves Ab Jenkins was the first to cap 468.72. Within foe week, Craig .S!"!. NEWS photo by R. Gold ber per Pedal Power Unique bicycle did over fifty miles per hour in the flying mile last year at Bonneville. No facts are yet available on how many sneakers driver used up in breaking record. A PIECE OF THE FAMED SALT FLATS FOR $100 VALUABLE LAND INVESTMENT As natives of Wendover, we watched people collect practically any item for a souvenier of Utah's Salt Flats. One year ago, The Bonneville Salt Flats Co., subdivided land it owned near Trail the famous Donner-Ree- d into one-foparcels for public sale as deeded souveniers. To obtain one of these unique lifetime gifts or personal souveniers, send $1.00 plus lOtf postage to: ot w, neces-mechanic- al three-wheele- Bonneville Salt Flats Co. 1334 So. 1425 East Bountiful, Utah 84010 NAME. STREET-CITY. ad-bei- ng - ZIP- .STATE. |