![]() ![]() While taking the outright land speed record typically requires a jet-engined sled of singular design, there is plenty of land speed competition to be had in various classes for competitors fielding their own entries. Credit: Utah Salt Flats Racing Association Faster, Faster, Faster! A great example of the “36HP” Volkswagen class, which challenges competitors to set land speed records using only classic VW engines, with categories for various levels of modification. If you’d like to join them, here’s how to go about it. The higher the speed your car can attain, the better! It’s about the pure pursuit of top speed above all else, and building a car to compete is a calling for a dedicated few. After four long days and a glimpse under the hood, I realized this tribe of wrench twisters and daring drivers, alone in the desert, are simply an extension of the thrill seekers I call my own - out on the fringe, welcoming and friendly, likely with a beer in hand, and a smile from cheek to cheek.Land speed racing is one of the oldest forms of motorsport, and quite literally consists of going very, very fast in (ideally) a straight line. It’s a setting described by Monte Widdison, vice president of Utah Salt Flats Racing Association, as “the last bastion of high-end amateur racing in the world.” As a photographer associated with foot traffic and highballs, I had no idea what to expect from the land of speed freaks and oversized engines. If you’re willing to build it, and work through the speed categories, you’re welcome to run it. At the World of Speed, in early September, the starting line is home to jet-influenced “streamliners,” old school muscle cars, shrouded motorcycles, scooters and everything in between. Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats are home to three annual speed events where racers can go all in - on or in - whatever speed device meets their fancy. It’s a space often heard of but seldom visited, a space where fortune is invested, dreams made and friendships forged - all in the name of speed. ![]() There’s a salt flat on the playa with long blue lines and a track that runs through it. ![]()
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