Bonneville Salt Flats is the Place of Amateur Racing at its Purest

When thinking of the Volkswagen Beetle, most don’t associate it with high levels of speed, like, for example, 205 mph. But the truth is, most people would be wrong. In the hands of the right people, on the right course, just about anything can be accomplished.

That’s why every year, a group of classic Volkswagen owners meets on the Bonneville Salt Flats (a 30,000 acre stretch of white salt at the Utah-Nevada border) to hit, and exceed previous year’s speed records.

Barry “Burly” Burlile runs the 36 HP VW Challenge at the salt flats and calls it “amateur racing at its purest”. The event allows those that are truly devoted to being “gearheads” to show off their talents, converse with others, learn a few new tricks, and have some fun along the way.

It is expected that the drivers have some prior racing experience, but no one has ever been turned down because of age, which is different than a lot of other motor sports. “We’ve never turned anyone away who wanted to race. It’s the people that make this place so special,” says Burlile. He goes on to explain one of his most fond memories at the flats, or his friend Jan Atkinson, that learned to race at 73 years old.

The rules are simple. First, your vehicle must have either a VW body or engine. Second, the modifications done but pass USFRA’s safety and tech inspection. Third, go full throttle. You can pick between a one, three, or five-mile course to achieve the land speed record in your Volkswagen’s class. Finally, repeat step three to validate your speed.

So what do you think, do you have what it takes to race at the Bonneville Salt Flats?

“Flat Engines, Flat Salt, Flat out.” Newsroom. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2017.

Tags: VW Racing Bethesda MD, VW Racing Gaithersburg MD, VW Racing Germantown MD, VW Racing Rockville MD
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