Bonneville Speed Week

[Larry Cloetta]

Larry - these are splendid - thank you for such a lovely set of photos of such a unique and historic event.

As to the Jaguar - the owner must have been off his rocker to mix an old XJ40 with salt at all!

Thanks, Charles. And I was going to mention that about the salt. If I go again, it will be in a rental car.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Does everyone's Cushman have ABS?

 

[charjohncarter]

Great, love the little Honda racer.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

1961 Dodge Pioneer. Someone trailered this beauty down from Ontario.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

This was one of three teams I saw from New Zealand.
England, Canada, Italy, Russia, Germany, Australia, and there were surely some I missed.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Er, yeah! Moon Equipment! Nothing succeeds like excess.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Not usually a fan of alternate versions, but really liked how this one worked out in B&W

 

[Larry Cloetta]

I don't remember how fast this Indian went, but it was pretty quick.

Looking at the background, to get a sense of scale, this is probably 3-4 miles away from the starting line photos I posted initially.

 

[davidnewtonguitars]

For an old car guy, Bonneville is heaven. Thanks for the pictures. I love Rat Speedsters.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

 

[Larry Cloetta]

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Even the food trucks are colorful.

 

[Larry Cloetta]

It's hard to see the entire course from one spot, but where there's a will there's a way (to see the short course anyway).

 

[Larry Cloetta]

Salt Flats mean bring your own plumbing.

 

[Keith]

Not usually a fan of alternate versions, but really liked how this one worked out in B&W

Thanks for all the pics ... and I have to say i really like this, it stood out for me instantly.

I watched 'The World's Fastest Indian' again recently and your post is a timely reminder of how much I like that movie. Especially being an ex pat Kiwi. 🙂

 

[Jamie Pillers]

Larry, thanks a LOT for posting these! They’re wonderful. Attending the races has been on my bucket list since I was a kid. First became aware of them when I was working a late night shift at my dad’s gas station in central Nevada. Pulling in out of the black night into the parking lot light came a sight from another world. Sitting on a trailer was a huge mind-blowing site... Craig Breedlove’s giant rocket powered car! They were headed to Bonneville. I’ve never forgot that amazing moment.
A great related movie: “The World’s Fastest Indian”.

 

[retinax]

Wow, absolute insanity. In a good way. Well, except for exposing vintage cars to salt, and modding them to death in the first place. Great photography, too!

 

[Guth]

Larry, thank you for starting this thread, and especially for the photos. I wish that I had some of my own to contribute but I'm sad to say that I have never been to this event. One of the great things about this setting is the starkness provided by the white sand and the clear blue sky. If you manage to catch a vehicle in isolation, with such a clean and simple backdrop, it is possible for a photo taken in 2019 to appear as if it could have come from any number of earlier decades depending on the year of the vehicle.

As a motorcycle crazy kid I first became aware of the salt flats thanks to Don Vesco. The few times that I have passed through that area I've thought of him and speed week. As mentioned by others above, The Worlds Fastest Indian is a very entertaining movie enjoyed by gearheads (like myself) and non-gearheads (like my wife) alike.