By “Landspeed” Louise Ann Noeth
Bonneville Salt Flats–the Speed Laboratory of the World
Welcome to the handcrafted pageant of power. This is high-speed, baby. Not just a few seconds of tromp-your-foot-on-the-throttle-and hope-you-don’t-get-arrested speed, but all-out, flat-out speed, a ragged edge rapture that only the determined few experience. On the salt, you find the limits of your courage, you learn what daring greatly is all about, and you understand why a Bonneville Salt Flats speed record is an internationally respected pedigree. People who go to the salt flats become a family bound together by speed — a powerful force erases ethnic, economic, political and religious barriers: They are land speed racers, and this is their story.
Bud Hare, Triumph
About the Author:
Louise Ann Noeth, aka “Landspeed Louise,”(LSL) is a lady raconteur of stunning speed stories. She raced jet dragsters, helped capture the current 458MPH World Wheel-Driven Record, and guided the Breedlove and Fossett teams. Touchstones throughout land speed racing are her heralded historical tome, Bonneville Salt Flats, and Fuel For Thought columns. She is an extreme speed consultant for the film and television.
Foreword by: Alex Xydias
What had been a long, impossible dream had suddenly become a reality! The Southern California Timing Association had been granted a one-time week of competition at the iconic Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.
This was a great opportunity! The SoCal Speed Shop Racing Team gathered together to decide what we should do. Our goal became: “the world’s fastest hot rod.”
But first, we had to build it. We chose a smooth, streamlined design, but could we form aluminum like that? What size? We only had a few months. Night and day, day and night we worked on it. Finally, it was finished and it was beautiful! White with gold leaf lettering on the side, “So-Cal Speed Shop Special.”
Bonneville was 700 miles away pulling trailers over narrow, two-lane roads through some of the most remote areas in the country. We drove for hours, too tired to count, finally cresting a hill and unexpectedly, still 30 miles away, there it was, a huge, gleaming, white area in the middle of a desert brown landscape.
Now we were hell bent for our destination and answers to so many questions. Standing on the salt, yes salt, as far as the eye can see. So bright you have to shield your eyes, so big, it was impossible to grasp. It was hard to say anything.
Where were we? Shangri La? Mars? In the distance, at the end of the black line, a mountain was floating in the air. Was it a mirage? Do they have mirages on Mars?
We came to race against the clock, against time, and to prove a concept new to hot rodding, but famous in Europe – wheels enclosed inside the body that eliminate problem-causing air turbulence. But would our version work? Would it create lift and suddenly fly?
There were 60 entries and everyone was curious about our streamliner. We made a few practice runs on the 10-mile course to slowly find out what we really had.
The hot rod record was 160MPH. We went 193MPH! And then the front treads flew off the tires, but driver Dean Batchelor brought it to a safe stop. We had built the world’s fastest hot rod and it appeared on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine three times!!!
It had been an odyssey I will never forget. When we returned in 1950, we upped our record to 210MPH!
We hope to sell Landspeed Louise’ book in our Sturgis Emporium and online right here in the near future. This book is a must-have for any enthusiast. –Bandit
