He drove the Duesenberg ' Mormon Meteor' to a 24-hour average land speed record of 135 miles per hour (217 km/h) in 1935. He was instrumental in establishing Bonneville as a location for such events, and in attracting overseas drivers such as George Eyston and Sir Malcolm Campbell to compete there. He then became interested in land speed records at the Bonneville Salt Flats. Jenkins' interest in motorsports began with racing motorcycles on dirt tracks and across country.

when he died, at age 73, in 1956, he had established more world's automobile records than any man in history.ĭavid Abbott 'Ab' Jenkins (Janu– August 9, 1956) was the 24th mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah between 19.

Set numerous World land speed records, 15 of which remain current, mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah 1940-1944. Representative and Senators and ask for their support in funding the measure.Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, Salt Lake City, Utah SEMA urges the public to contact their U.S. However, SEMA has helped to develop a 10-year program to restore the salt flats to ensure that speed records continue to be made at Bonneville by future generations. The Bonneville Salt Flats Race Track is listed on the National Registry of Historic Places and managed by the U.S. Today, the salt crust is measured in inches rather than feet, and the 13-mile race track is now eight miles or less. While the racing news is positive, the conditions at Bonneville have deteriorated since the 1960s. That record was quickly broken by the Team Vesco’s Turbinator II land-speed record at 455.107 mph. This week, his son Danny Thompson set a new land-speed record at 448.757 mph in the Challenger II. In 1960, Mickey Thompson, was the first American racer to break the 400-mph barrier with a one-time speed of 406.60 mph in the Challenger I. In addition to Speed Week, there are four other major racing events at Bonneville during August and September. Speed Week began in 1949 and is the largest annual racing event held at Bonneville, with hundreds of teams racing every type of vehicle, from hot rods, roadsters and belly tankers to motorcycles, lakesters and streamliners. Located in northwestern Utah, Bonneville is central to the history of motorsports, where hundreds of land-speed records have been set and broken in a variety of automotive classes.

At least five vehicles have driven more than 400 mph during Speed Week at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Bonneville salt flats records