The perfectly flat, glistening white landscape dried to a firm crust, so vast you can see the curvature of the earth, allows miles of runoff in all directions-a critical element in the case of a mishap at 300 mph, where even a three-mph “gust” of wind can blow you off course. Land-speed racing requires an expansive surface that only salt flats can provide. After getting stiffed three years in a row at the late-summer motorcycle speed week, Akatiff and his crew have decided to search for another place to make their world-record attempt.īut locating a suitable land-speed course-one that will accommodate a 400-mph run-is no simple task. Thinning salt, a rising water table, wind and the overall size limitations have prevented the two-wheel streamliners from making a solid run at the western Utah locale, which has served as an international hub of land-speed racing for over 100 years. Season after season recently, the salt flats at Bonneville are just not cooperating. Photo by Frederic Le Floch/DPPI/Red Bull Content Pool New roads and hotels have made the Uyuni salt flats and the small Bolivian town much more accessible. 2017 World Land Speed Trial: Salt Mining In Bolivia The Dakar Rally helped put the “Salar de Uyuni” on the map in 2015. The only thing missing is a place to do it. They have the machine, they’ve done the calculations, driver Rocky Robinson is ready to set a new world record at 400 mph.

Currently that is the limiting factor standing in the way of motorcycle land speed racers Mike Akatiff and his Ack Attack team. The first and most obvious requirement: you need salt. But those who have actually done it can tell you all about the myriad complexities that go along with setting world-record speeds on the salt. 2017 World Land Speed Trial: Salt Mining In Bolivia – What does it take to break land-speed records? Most would answer big horsepower and lots of throttle.

Bonneville salt flats speed week 2017