Bonneville dishes out salt, sun and speed in spades
By C.C. Weiss
August 25, 2016
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Bonneville dishes out salt, su...
On the starting line
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Our first look at the wide expanse of mountain-rimmed salt known as the Bonneville Salt Flats
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Cars lined up and waiting for their shot at glory
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Cars lined up and ready to go, Bonneville Speed Week 2016
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This Bateman car looks like a carbon fiber bullet, but we were told that's just a carbon-look wrap over fiberglass
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Halophile bike with 1300cc Suzuki motor
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Halophile bike with 1300cc Suzuki motor
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The Poteet and Main Speed Demon is the closest thing to a wingless aircraft we saw at Speed Week
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The fastest vehicle of Speed Week 2016, the fittingly named Speed Demon set a record of 416.511 mph (670 km/h)
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Car #998, a 2000 Nish Streamliner, takes off
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This Nish Motorsports streamliner is listed as having a 520-cu in Darien Hemi V8
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Powered by a 301-cu in Chevy engine, car #366, a gas lakester from Ravenna Garage Racing, goes after the 254.685 mph (458 km/h) D/GL record
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If you're wondering about the truck: Push trucks are used because land speed record cars are geared so high for speed they need help accelerating from stop. Most vehicles we watched relied on such trucks
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Car #366 getting up to speed
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Car #366 pulls away from its push truck and takes off down the salt
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Target 550 driver gets ready to challenge the 417.020 mph (617 km/h) record in the AA/BFS (blown fuel streamliner) class
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The Target 550, car #678, is powered by not one, but two 500-ci Hemi V8 engines
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Car #316, a distinctive, shining fuel lakester, moves toward the starting line
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1953 "Stupidbaker"
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Reworked 1973 Alfa Romeo roadster running in the fuel modified sports category with an A engine
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In chatting with the driver of this modified Alfa Romeo from KKM Racing, we were told it packs a Chevy big block engine worth around 900 hp
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While its bodywork is anything but stock, KKM's Alfa has the stock steel tub underneath
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KKM modified Alfa Romeo
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The artistic Alfa grille immediately caught our eye
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There were a lot of Corvettes of all ages and tune, but this Sundowner #42 was probably our favorite of the lot
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The Gerber-Tracy Special is listed as being powered by a 180-ci Esslinger four-cylinder engine
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The record for the F-engine/gas lakester class is 229.989 mph (370 km/h)
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The 1948 Fiat-based Pigasus fuel competition coupe packs a 440-ci Chevy V8, according to the info published in the official program from Speed Week 2016
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You can tell this car has spent some serious time in the salt
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The record for the 3000cc APS-PBG motorcycle class: 201.226 mph (324 km/h)
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Motorcycles were fairly rare on the long course where we spent most of our time because most were busy going for records on the short course, but the ones we saw were quite impressive to behold
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Inside the cockpit of the "Flyin' Bryan" motorcycle
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Modified 1927 Ford Roadster takes aim at a speed of 247.749 mph (399 km/h)
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Inside The Fields Brothers 1927 fuel modified roadster
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The official program lists the #7557 with a 302-ci Chevy V8
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Another top competitor, the custom-built Carbiliner is a blown gas streamliner
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The Carbiliner looks like a three-wheeler but is indeed a four-wheel car. The spread rear track is designed to give it stability that other streamliners don't have. The front wheels, on the other hand, are mounted in tandem.
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We watched the Carbiliner take off on one of several successful qualifying runs, reaching a 363.115 mph (548 km/h) speed, but due to various mechanical problems, it never broke the record, which still stands at 348.342 mph (561 km/h) for the class
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Cars lined up and ready to go, Bonneville Speed Week 2016
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Cars lined up and ready to go, Bonneville Speed Week 2016
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The Hard Way lists in as a fuel-driven 1929 Ford Roadster with 412-ci Chevy V8
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Cars lined up and ready to go, Bonneville Speed Week 2016
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At the starting line
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Taking off down the long course
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Ferguson Racing #76, a 2000 Vesco-Nish streamliner with 2100cc Honda engine
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KKM modified Alfa Romeo ready to race
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The Alfa Romeo we checked out in line gets ready for its run
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The record in this Alfa's sights: 254.763 mph (410 km/h)
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Under all that slick bodywork, car #9913 from Stupidbaker Racing is actually a 1953 Studebaker
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Racing in the gas competition coupe class, this Stupidbaker lists in with a 362-ci Chevy V8
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The Stupidbaker prepares to run against a 293.857 mph (473 km/h) class record
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A peek inside car #9913
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Team Honda R&D streamliner
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A beefed up VW Beetle prepares for its run
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The long line moved quite slowly our first day in Bonneville, but thinned out more and more as the week went on
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Cars lined up and ready to go, Bonneville Speed Week 2016
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Car #7557 inches forward
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We spotted this playful car outside the main race area
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We spotted this playful car outside the main race area
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Car #74, a fuel streamliner
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Car #74, a fuel streamliner
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The impressive Turbinator II is the world's fastest wheel-driven car with a 458.481 mph (738 km/h) record
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Team Vesco's Turbinator II is powered by a new 4,500-hp Lycoming T55-L-712F gas turbine
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Team Vesco used Speed Week to test and tweak a new electronic control system that it believes will help it break 500 mph (805 km/h)
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Cars lined up and ready to go, Bonneville Speed Week 2016
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At the starting line
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Team Honda R&D readies its blown fuel streamliner
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Honda's streamliner is driven by a 660cc engine
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The Honda driver listed in the official program is Hikaru Miyagi
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Honda got up to over 233 mph (375 km/h) on this run
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One of the event's many Corvettes speeds off the line
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The most interesting push truck we saw, a stripped down Honda Pilot
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Honda streamliner takes off
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Honda streamliner takes off
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Car #7243 is listed as a modified 1927 Ford Roadster with 218-ci Ford Model B four-cylinder flathead
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Bonneville Speed Week 2016
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Bonneville Speed Week 2016
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Bonneville Speed Week 2016
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The white salt makes a great backdrop for a brightly colored car
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Bonneville Speed Week 2016
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This 1964 BMC Mini altered coupe is marked as a blown fuel car here but listed as a blown gas altered coupe in the program
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A classic Mini hungry for speed domination
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The Hudson Boys' 1990 Geo Metro is listed as running a 1000cc Suzuki engine
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This Geo is listed as a blown gas competition coupe in the official Speed Week program but is marked as a blown fuel competition coupe here
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The Hudson Boys Geo Metro competition coupe
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Car #651, listed as a 1965 Plymouth with 528-ci Chrysler V8
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The Dutchess is a blown gas competition coupe based on a 1965 Plymouth
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Bonneville Speed Week 2016
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Bonneville Speed Week 2016
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Motorcycles of Speed Week 2016
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Motorcycles of Speed Week 2016
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Spitfire LSR from Team McLeish Bros
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Motorcycles of Speed Week 2016
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The Spitfire LSR
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Motorcycles of Speed Week 2016
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"Mighty Mouse" diesel truck
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A classic 1956 Watson Roadster in the Vintage Oval Track class
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Power in car #5 comes from a 270-ci Offenhauser four-cylinder
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It may be number 1961, but this MG is actually from 1960
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In the Blown Fuel Modified Sports Class, this MG is powered by a 302-ci Ford V8
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In the pits, Speed Week 2016
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A look at car #1961's rear-end and parachute
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In the pits, Speed Week 2016
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Motor power served up two very different ways
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Bikes of Bonneville
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2002 Indian motorcycle with 1650cc motor
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In the pits, Speed Week 2016
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One of the fastest record breakers of the event, the Ferguson Racing #75 fuel streamliner set a 349.939-mph (563 km/h) record
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Ferguson Racing #75 is listed with a 421-ci Ardun Chrysler V8 engine
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Bikes of Bonneville
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In the pits, Speed Week 2016
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This vehicle looks like a streamliner here, but it's actually a gas lakester
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One of the lighter, simpler two-wheelers of Speed Week
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Team Vesco works on streamliner #444
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The Turbinator II between runs
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Motorcycles of Speed Week 2016
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Speed Week 2016
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Speed Week 2016
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"The Blonde Bitch" belly tank gas lakester powered by a 284-ci Ford flathead V8
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Car #9990, a blown gas streamliner
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This 2011 homebuilt streamliner is listed as powered by a 438-ci Chevy V8
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Frosted with salt
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2 Richards Racing blown gas modified roadster with 183-ci Ford Esslinger four-cylinder
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2012 B&J fuel lakester with 491-ci Chevy V8
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ProtoFAB blown fuel lakester
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The Richmond & Stark blown fuel streamliner is listed with dual 386-ci Chevy V8s
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Richmond & Stark blown fuel streamliner
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Cook Motor Racing "Cookie"
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Cook Motor Racing "Cookie"
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Corvette in the Production Grand Touring class
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Working toward the starting line
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Blown gas modified roadster preparing for its run
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Car #74 on the starting line
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It may look like the Ferguson Racing #76 streamliner and Mariani Farms #73 roadster are about to battle it out down the course, but they're each preparing for their own individual runs
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On the starting line
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This Mariani Farms roadster had a great Speed Week. It set a new 263.676-mph (424-km/h) record in the C-engine (306 to 372.99 cu in/5.015 to 6.111L) Blown Gas Modified Roadster class on Wednesday morning before qualifying in the C-engine Blown Fuel Modified Roadster class (notice the revised number and class) Wednesday afternoon. It set the record in that class on Thursday morning with a 277.326-mph (446 km/h) speed
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Ferguson Racing on the starting line
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9990 prepares for its run
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Launching ...
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Car 906 takes off
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Pulling away under its own engine power
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Car 242 is up
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Another launch
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Car #316 rolling forward
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Car #366 waits its turn
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