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EVENTS: LAND SPEED EVENT SANCTIONING BODIES AND VENUES
This is a photo that I took of the Bonneville Salt Flats “long course," 5 miles long plus several miles on the back end to get stopped. Black flags indicate quarter-miles, and orange flags are located at the end of each mile.
SAVE THE SALT
The Bonneville salt flats is a special, magical place. It is being destroyed by mining. The Save The Salt Foundation is working to stop the destruction of the salt flats. Contributions are welcome. http://www.savethesalt.org/ I copied the following description from their website:
Save the Salt Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and to promote its history and motorsports legacy. The organization aspires to keep this national treasure available for future generations. In 2011, a number of prominent organizations formed the "Save the Salt Coalition" to help the nonprofit organization achieve its goal. The Coalition is seeking to restore the Bonneville Salt Flats. The Coalition is working with government officials, mine operators and others to supplement the current salt replenishment activities. In 2014, the Utah Alliance, a Utah-based advocacy group was formed to use its expertise and contacts at the local level to protect this historic place listed on the National Register.
LAND SPEED RECORD SANCTIONING BODIES:
Several time trial events are held each year, weather-permitting, to establish new speed records for an array of vehicle and engine classifications. Speed records for wheel-driven cars and motorcycles range from less than 50 mph (83 kph) to over 400 mph (660 kph), with hundreds of class records in between. Rules, regulations, and records are published by several sanctioning bodies, along with lots of pictures. Here are some organizations that I am familiar with.
•AMA/BMST – Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials. Sanctioned by the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) and FIM to provide a venue for United States and international motorcycle speed records. Events are held at Bonneville. http://bonnevillespeedtrials.com/.
Congratulations to Delvene Manning for receiving the AMA 2015 Bessie Stringfield Award for her work in making this event happen.
•FIM – Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), international motorcycle speed records. Events are held in conjunction with AMA/BMST at Bonneville in the United States and at other locations around the world.
•SCTA – Southern California Timing Association. Car and motorcycle U.S. speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and El Mirage dry lake in CA. There are links to other interesting websites. http://www.scta-bni.org/.
•USFRA – Utah Salt Flats Racing Association, runs at Bonneville under SCTA rules. Also holds special 130-mph and 150-mph classes for essentially street vehicles. http://www.saltflats.com/index.html
•ECTA – East Coast Timing Association. Speed record events are run on a one timed mile airport course under rules similar to SCTA. www.ecta-lsr.com/ Similar events held in Maine and Texas.
•FIA - Fédération Internationale de Automobile, sanctioning body for international car speed records and other racing such as Formula 1. An FIA land speed record requires that two runs be made in opposite directions within a time span of one hour. In the US, FIA speed record time trials are held at private events.
LSR VENUES:
Four land speed record speed trials events are held at Bonneville each year that are open to the public. Events are always subject to cancelation due to unsafe weather conditions such as high winds or heavy rain.
•SCTA Speed Week, typically early August. This is the big event, several hundred competitors, cars and motorcycles. During the first weekend the parking lot is more interesting than many car shows. U.S. records only.
•AMA/BMST Speed Trials, typically late August. Motorcycles only, less crowded, potentially more runs each day. Both U.S. and international records are possible.
•USFRA World of Speed, typically mid-September. Less crowded than Speed Week.
•SCTA World Finals, typically early October.
