As Racing Resumes, Crucial Effort to Restore the Bonneville Salt Flats Continues
The 2020 race season at Bonneville Salt Flats commenced with Speed Week (Aug. 8-14, 2020) organized by the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) and Bonneville Nationals Inc. (BNI). The organizations have conducted the event since 1949. Over 250 teams, ranging from streamliners nearing 500 mph to vintage 50cc motorcycles, were entered in this year's event. In light of ongoing challenges, SCTA/BNI worked with local, state, and federal government agencies to ensure the health and safety of participants of the event—held at one of the most socially-distanced racing venues in the world.
Among the event's highlights, the Speed Demon 715 streamliner made history by clocking a two-run average speed of 470.016 mph while exiting the racecourse at 481.576 mph. The effort makes it the fastest piston-powered land-speed vehicle to date. The streamliner, powered by a twin-turbocharged 555-cubic-inch Chevy, was piloted by George Poteet. The recent effort surpassed the previous record of 448.75 mph, secured in 2018 by Danny Thompson, the son of off-road racing and land-speed racing legend Mickey Thompson.
While conditions allowed for a great Speed Week in 2020, the long-term restoration of the Salt Flats' surface is as important as ever. As you may know, the once 13-mile racetrack at Bonneville is now less than 8 miles due to salt erosion. The Restore Bonneville program will help protect the historic venue by increasing the volume of salt being pumped onto Bonneville to over 1 million tons a year.
If you haven't already done so, please urge the Secretary of the Interior to allocate the Restore Bonneville program funds as directed by Congress—details: