Bonneville Speedway, Motorsport racing track in Tooele County, United States.
The Bonneville Speedway is a racing track on the salt flats in Tooele County that covers about 47 square miles (121 square kilometers). The hard white salt surface provides a natural runway for high-speed tests with vehicles and motorcycles.
Drivers began using the flat surface for speed attempts in the early 20th century, after the ancient lake dried up thousands of years ago. Since then, hundreds of world records have been set here and the track became a center for land speed racing.
Racing teams and fans from around the world travel here to watch speed records and experience the open landscape. The name comes from the prehistoric lake whose evaporation left behind the salt layer.
The track lies northeast of Wendover, Utah, and is reached by road across the salt flats; the surface is hard white salt, not paved. Track layouts are graded by event organizers days or weeks before racing, and markers are set out the day before. Speed Week runs in August, the World of Speed in September and the World Finals in October; the October event usually has cooler weather and drier salt.
The salt layer can turn into a shallow water surface after rainfall, looking like a giant mirror. In some years, the surface becomes too soft for racing and events must be postponed.
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