While they still have a long way to go, the condition of the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2018 are the best they have been in recent years and has already resulted in a many records being broken during Speed Week.

In 1989, racers decided to take action and formed Save The Salt, which is dedicated to preserving this national treasure and ensuring future generations can enjoy it for many years to come. Bureau of Land Management has allowed millions of tons of salt to be harvested off the salt flats over the last 50+ years. Even though the Bonneville Salt Flats are registered as a National Landmark and is a geologic phenomenon of international significance, the U.S. Racers at Bonneville will tell you that in the early days of land speed racing on the flats, the salt could be measured up to two feet deep. However, before any of those factors can be considered, the racing surface itself needs to emerge from an annual cycle that includes the flats being flooded with water. Rain is very problematic and even high winds can cause major issues. Since many of the vehicles competing in speedweek will reach speeds well in excess of 200 mph on an unpaved lake bed (and a few, like OPTIMA-sponsored Danny Thompson, will exceed 400 mph), conditions need to be as close to ideal as possible. Any type of competition that takes place outdoors is vulnerable to Mother Nature, but perhaps no form of motorsports is more dependent on ideal weather conditions than land speed racing at the Bonneville Speed Weeks.

Bonneville salt flats speed week 2018