Have you ever wanted to visit the Salt Flats to watch everyone attempt to break the current speed record in their particular class? If you’re like most you have way too many hindrances keeping you away from the Salt Flats even as a spectator. The Internet alone has many,many websites with stories and images of the cars, trucks, motorcycles, and other Salt Flat racers but you want more than still photography. Movies, that’s how you get to see the real action and hear the thunder of the vehicles pounding the salt to break the land speed record for their particular racing class.
Even without going to the trouble and expense of traveling to the Bonneville Salt Flats you can still experience the thrill of Salt Flats racing, albeit on a lesser scale. The way to experience the many race teams that visit Bonneville year after year, without actually going to the Salt Flats, is through the many videos that are taken out on the Salt. A recent search on YouTube.com brought in 65 different results for Bonneville racing movies of varying sizes and search results from Google.com brought in even more results for “bonneville salt flats movies“.
If you have the inclination to make your own move or documentary about land speed racing on the Bonneville Salt Flats then it might help to look through the work of others who have braved the heat to film some of the greatest land speed record racing on the world. Bonneville movies about the land speed records being set by automotive and motorcycle racing teams are always in demand and you will have the time of your life making your very own documentary of the land speed racing events at Bonneville. Camera selection should be be such that you find one that has above average zoom capabilities as well as some method of recording the sound of these exciting racing machines. Remember the course the cars, trucks, and motorcycles race on is several miles long in length so you’ll want to be able to catch the action taking place off in the distance.
Watching the various racing teams compete against the timing clock at Bonneville on tape or DVD is nothing like the excitement of being the on the Salt with them, but there is an advantage to watching land speed records being set in the comfort of your home. Just the fact that you are out of the direct sunlight will make watching the racing action on video worth your while. Not to mention the fact that you won;t have to make any arrangements for travel to and from the Salt Flats or accommodations either, which is yet another benefit of the action on video. But the die-hard Bonneville fan will tell you that nothing takes the place of being out on the Salt, doused down with sun screen, dressed in as much white clothing as you can find to fight off the attacks of the sun’s rays. The smell of the salt mixed with the smell of the racing goes hand in hand with the sounds of the machines going to and from the start and finish lines and all the exciting racing action that takes place in between these to marks on the race course.
While there are a great many amateur and professional videos available for purchase and free on the Internet you’ll be hard pressed to find any Bonneville Salt Flats video packages to compare to the work of Mark Brazeau who is the Official Photographer of the Southern California Timing Association. Mark has an excellent website at www.landspeedracing.com where you can purchase one or more of his fine videos from as far back as the 60’s. Mark has a couple of links to some of his video compilations of runs that didn’t quite make it the way they were planned. You’ll need the Windows Media Player® to view these videos and they are available by clicking on either of these two links:
http://www.landspeedracingvideo.com/videos/spins.wmv
http://www.landspeedracingvideo.com/videos/spin123.wmv
Diesel World Land Speed Record Breaker — ideasforlife.tv travels to the salt flats of Bonneville, USA, where JCB’s Dieselmax reached speeds of more than 350mph to become the fastest diesel engine car on earth.
Mike Hancock – 205.462 MPH in 1982 Pontiac Firebird — Mike Hancock qualified for an A class license (175-200mph) with this run at 205.462mph.
Bonneville Speed Week 2009 — Car 222 went 285 mph in the first mile, we had a blower tube pop off and had to shut down early, you can see the hood lift up about 2 1/2 to 3 seconds before the end of the first timed mile. We still had another 2 miles to go. This was the fastest doorslammer at speed week and the 6th or 7th fastest vehicle in that same mile.
The Nish Motorsports Streamliner — Using a small block Chevy engine to go 345 mph, check out their YouTube.com video:
Another source of Bonneville Salt Flats Speed Week movies:
Bonneville Wide Open is an award-winning documentary movie about auto racing on the Bonneville Salt Flats!
The Bonneville Salt Flats aren’t just for mega-buck rocket cars – hundreds of enthusiastic men and women from school teachers to retired executives annually attempt land speed records on Utah’s surreal Bonneville Salt Flats. These devotees run everything from powered barstools to 260 mph diesel trucks in the wide open competition called Speed Week. Bonneville: Wide Open is an exploration of this unique community of creative individuals who gather each August for a chance to put their names in the record book. As one participant explained, “It’s the only venue where I can build something in my back yard and, if I’m clever enough, go out and get a record!”
Bonneville: Wide Open
A Fire and Tools Production
by Benn Karne and Steve Davy
Bonneville:Wide Open trailer (Windows Media)
(Copyright Bonneville Wide Open)