Did you know they allow go karts at the Bonneville Salt Flats? Did you also know the karts aren’t allowed to go over 140 mph? 140? Are you kidding? Who in their right mind would drive one of these little machines that fast? Just think of going 140 miles per hour on a frame with an engine strapped to the back of it and then flying down the Bonneville Salt Flats while 4 inches off the ground at those speeds.
There really is a following for teams that race go karts at Bonneville, and they’re covered by a very strict set of rules set forth by the USFRA (Utah Salt Flats Racing Association). The go karts are actually covered by some of the same rules as the 130 MPH Club with the exception of size and weight requirements for the karts. So you can’t just load the old kart in the back of the old Ford pickup and truck on out to Bonneville for a run at the go kart land speed record. Go kart racing on the Salt is taken just as seriously as the other racing categories and the focus is on safety, safety, safety.
So you might be wondering what constitutes a ‘go kart’ and what does not; here’s a portion of the USFRA rules concerning the make up of a go kart:
What is a “Go Kart”?
What Karts are eligible to race under the Kart racing rules of the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association, 130 MPH Club Rules.
This class is intended for Karts that generally meet the requirements for competition classes in the World Karting Association (WKA).
Allowed. Specifications include
• Maximum WheelBase measured from front axle centerline to rear axle centerline 50″
• Minimum tread width from outside of in tire to inside of opposite tire 28″
• Maximum overall width 60″ including side pods.
• Overall maximum length 76″
• Overall height maximum 26″
• Suspension Components: Use of suspension components including springs, shocks, etc is prohibited.
• -Decisions of the inspector are final in the areas of safety assessment and requirements.
What is not a “Go Kart”
• Riding lawn mowers are specifically not permitted.
• Tube chassis vehicles intended for other forms of off road recreation or competition such as, sandrails, dunebuggies, ATV’s, ATC,s, etc are not permitted.
• No thrust-powered vehicles are allowed, No Jets, Rockets, Propellers, or other thrust propulsion devices are permitted.
Copyrighted, USFRA
There is more information in the USFRA website on go kart racing and the various requirements for driver safety equipment.
