What is the name of the salt flats where the land speed records were broken?

The Bonneville Salt Flats is a densely packed salt pan in Tooele County in northwestern Utah. The area is a remnant of the Pleistocene Lake Bonneville and is the largest of many salt flats located west of the Great Salt Lake. The property is public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and is known for land speed records at the "Bonneville Speedway". Access is free and visitors can drive on the flats.

Geologist Grove Karl Gilbert named the area after Benjamin Bonneville, a U.S. Army officer who explored the Intermountain West in the 1830s. In 1907 Bill Rishel and two local businessmen tested the suitability of the salt for driving on by taking a Pierce-Arrow onto the surface of the flats.

A railway line across the Bonneville Salt Flats was completed in 1910, marking the first permanent crossing. The first land speed record was set there in 1914 by Teddy Tetzlaff.

Entertainment filmed at the salt flats include portions of Knight Rider, Warlock, Independence Day, SLC Punk, Cremaster 2 from Cremaster Cycle, The Brown Bunny, The World's Fastest Indian, Gerry, The Tree of Life, Top Gear, and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End. Furthermore, the Pontiac Bonneville (former flagship sedan of the Pontiac motor division), the Triumph Bonneville motorcycle, and the Bonneville International media company are all named for the salt flats.

More Info: en.wikipedia.org

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53 Comments

segarolow

Got it! Breedlove & Arfons. A blast from the past.

Marie Giles

We drove semi out past there a lot sign says Bonneville flats

Denise Overell

What about the salt lakes in Australia? Speed records broken there.

robert karel

You can go fast here!

robert karel

Tina Dawson, they should have included “most well known” to the question.

Suraya Choudhury

I put Great Salt Plains Lake !

Sean Philips

In the U.S. of course. There are other countries you know.

Andrew Allan

the last 3 land speed records (and the simultaneous American attempt) were set at Black Rock Desert (by the British "Thrust" team)

Susan Lake-Harris

Of course, in Australia, races are held and speed records are broken at Lake Eyre. Other countries also have suitable salt lakes. This is sort of a misleading question as salt lake racing is global. Maybe adding "in the U.S." would help those of us who don't live there... ;) I got it right anyway, but my first response was to think of Lake Eyre.

Irene Townsend

Was thinking of the movie about our Kiwi The Worlds Fastest Indian, knew it was Salt Plains, but thought it was The Great Salt Plains

Tina Dawson

This is a BS question. It is not the only salt lake in the world where land speed records are broken.

Joan Affleck

Not sure but was the Misfits filmed there as well?

Susan Dakin

I pressed Bonneville. I was deemed wrong. Must have touched the next door line accidently. NOTE: don't play this game when you've been up all night & you're all fingers and thumbs 😕