The very name, “Bonneville,” has become synonymous with an over-the-top, flat-out land speed extravaganza that has attracted generations of salt-bed racers, even going back to the 1950s when high-performance auto was still a new and developing hobby in America. At no other motorsports venue can one see such a vast selection of cars, ranging from long-wheelbase “lakesters” to this speed-prepped Karmann-Ghia, running all-out on such a vast expanse of uninterrupted land, and Speedhunters has made a point of investigating it further.
Over the period of a 5-day retreat in the forlorn salt flats of Utah, Speedhunters’ reporters followed Spectre Performance as they sought to break land speed records in five different engine classes with their streamliner, “The Infidel.” Consequently, Spectre has brought with the Infidel five different engines, and with them, they had hoped for a repeat of last year, in which the motorsport company had broke the 400mph barrier at the World Finals.
Speedhunters’ Larry Chen, who is allegedly new to the Bonneville scene, was stunned by the vast array of cars that had been built to run on the wide-open salt flats, but rod reporter Linhbergh Nguyen was not nearly as shocked by the snow white, parallel universe. Nguyen has been to Speedweek before, but is still happy to have Chen on-board to witness the lifelong tradition of raw performance.
They liken the Bonneville salt flats to a “day spa for the mind,” describing in poetic detail how just the act of stepping into the Bonneville salt can put one into a state of calm, a state of tranquility that is un-matched. From a rod-enthusiasts’ standpoint, however, we’re not sure if it’s really the lake bed, or if it’s the monstrous machines running across them, that instill that tranquil but altered state.
