On August 3, veteran speed racer Chris Raschke died in a crash on the Bonneville Salt Flats after losing control of his car during an attempt to break a speed record. The incident occurred during the annual SpeedWeek race, held each year at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
Both the Tooele Country Sheriff’s Office and the Southern California Timing Association, the organization behind the event, are continuing to investigate the crash.
Unfortunately, such tragedies are bound to occur, considering how risky speed racing is. Indeed, while having a reputation as one of America's best-known natural features, the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah is also the fastest race track on Earth!
Since the early 20th century, the Flats have served as a platform for a remarkable series of land speed record attempts where some intrepid racing drivers have reached speeds in excess of 600 mph (965 km/h). Today, Bonneville still holds annual SpeedWeek events, but it's the glory days of the 1930s, '40s, '50s, and '60s that saw the best pacemaking pioneers smash record after record. So, who were these drivers with the need for speed, and how fast did they go?
Get in gear and drive through this gallery to find out.