“We have a failsafe that shuts the engine off,” said Vesco, whose late father Johnny raced in the first Speed Week in 1949. Then, when the crew tried to trailer the vehicle to take it back to the pits for work, the winch on the trailer broke, causing a frustrating morning for what is probably the fastest vehicle in the meet. The Utah-based Vesco crew had Spangler, from California, ready to roll on the salt as the first vehicle out Tuesday, but a delay on the course caused Turbinator II to stall. Rick Vesco of Rockville, which sits in the shadow of Zion National Park, built Turbinator II and it became the first wheel-driven vehicle to exceed 500 miles per hour last year. That resulted in two courses that were basically for rookies and one four-mile course that drivers of elite cars such as Poteet and Dave Spangler of Turbinator II use in record attempts. Organizers were forced to eliminate one course this year. “When we had rain Thursday night, it delayed the meet three days. “The course is very wet,” said SCTA media liaison JoAnn Carlson.

Furthermore, the salt is highly corrosive so one must be willing to put a considerable effort in cleaning the underside of the vehicle after driving around out here.Speed Week was supposed to begin Saturday but a rainstorm that hit early last week cancelled the first three days of racing and had event organizers from the Southern California Timing Association scrambling to lay a safe course for the 71st annual event. Keep in mind that the salt flats can get messy after rain so a 4x4 vehicle is a good idea. I was also able to witness a gorgeous sunrise out here without another soul in sight. I spent the night in my van taking some photographs of the night sky. The flats are impressive any time of day, but at sunset and sunrise the textures of the salt bed are highlighted and the colors our here are spectacular. It makes for an ideal adventure just a couple hours outside of Salt Lake City. The land is managed by the Bureau of Land Management, access is free, and vehicles are allowed. This far from ordinary and seemingly vast area is incredibly flat and far away from city light pollution (although there is light pollution from the nearby highway).

As water evaporates the salt forms ridges and crusts which can feel like one is walking on the surface of another planet. These naturally occurring salt flats are the result of the drying out of an ancient lake. Get Outside is a weekly dose of inspiration to get you off the couch and enjoying what nature has to offer.

Bonneville salt flats rain