RACE TRACK OF SALT

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 149, 21 December 1945, Page 8

RACE TRACK OF SALT

WORLD SPEED RECORDS

Although the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah (U.S.A.) have been the venue for the last six world's land speed records, seeing the speed for. the mile (from a flying start in both directions) increased from 276.8 m.p.h. to 301.1 mp.h. by Sir Malcolm Campbell in 1935 and then to 368.9 m.p.h. by John Cobb in 1939—little is known by the average motorist of this remarkable and unique speedway. . •• As more will be heard of this, the world's fastest speedway, in the' not distant future, when British and American contenders will endeavour to reach 400 m.p.h., some details-of the Bonneville Salt Flats may prove of interest. In prehistoric times. Lake Bonneville covered most of the Western Utah, stretching north and south for a distance of 350 miles, and east and west for 175 miles. It covered an area of 20,000 square miles and its depth averaged 1000 ft. Changes in climate caused the water to evaporate until all that remains of the vast inland sea is the Great Salt Lake, which covers an area of 2360 square miles. The drying-up of much of the old Bonneville Lake left a surface of about 200 miles, crusted with a heavy layer of mineral salts, in a low spot in the vicinity of Salduro Railway Station, about 120 miles from Salt Lake City, the capital of Utah. The depth of the salt bed, which lies upon a layer of m(id, ranges from a few inches to several feet. The surface is perfectly level, and so hard in dry weather that it is difficult to hammer a stake into it. When dry, the surface is marked by sun-cracks with elevated edges, which have to be scraped off by dragging a heavy sledge along the surveyed 5 courses —14 miles straightaway for the "flying mile," and a circuit of 12 miles for long-distance records. The track has to be swept free of loose salt before any attempt at high speed is made. Since the salt is readily solvable, a period of dry weather is necessary to render it suitable for highspeed driving. The course, crj'stalline salt surface offers excellent traction even for the smooth-treaded racing tyres, upon which all recent mile records on this speedway have been made. The credit of making known to the world the existence of this unique speedway belongs to a Mormon — Abbot Jenkins—who holds most of the world's long-distance records, outstanding of which are. his 182.5 miles in one hour, and 3868.4 miles (161.18 m.p.h.) in 24 hours. Jenkins was not responsible for the initial try-out of Bonneville as a speed course. In 1914, an American race-driver attained a speed ot 141.7 m.p.h. on the lake bed in a Benz car. The flats were not used again for high-speed tests until in 1932 Jenkins set up numerous records over a circular course, including 2712 miles in 24 hours. These performances first attracted the motor-racing world's attention to the fact that the Bonneville Salt Flats provided an ideal course for world's record attempts. Prior to then. Daytona Beach (Florida, U.S.A.) had been the mecca of contenders for land-speed records. ' _. The outcome was that Sir Malcolm Campbell (England) took his famous "Blue Bird," which had already broken the record on six occasions, to Bonneville, and attained a speed of 301.1 m.p.h.. exceeding his previous record made in 1935 ar Daytona by 34.3 m.p.h. Since then, this speedway has seen Captain George Eyston (England) reach 311.4 m.p.h. in 1937. In 1938. the record was notched higher on three occasions—Eyston 345.5 m.p.h., John Cobb 350.2 m.p.h., and Eyston. a few hours later, 357.5 m.p.h. In 1939, Cobb had the field to himself, and established the existing world's best —368.9 m.p.h. . , Next year, there will probably be keen rivalry as to who will first attain a speed of 400 m.p.h., and the Bonneville Salt Flats are certain to be the venue.