and operated by the Southern California Timing Association. The event is sanctioned by Bonneville Nationals Inc. They were successful, and the result was the '49 Bonneville Nationals (August 22-27) that has carried on annually ever since (with four cancellations due to surface conditions). Ryan, went to Salt Lake City that same year to lobby the chamber of commerce to allow the hot rodders to race at Bonneville. Wally Parks (then of the SCTA and moments from becoming HOT ROD's first editor), HOT ROD founder Robert Petersen, and one of his men, Lee O. By 1949 there was concern that the California lakes were becoming too rutted for racing (though El Mirage is still used today). Not the case, as rodders began using Southern California's dirt dry lakes in the early '30s, and in November 1937, the Southern California Timing Association was formed to organize six smaller hot rod clubs-some of which are still SCTA members-for lakes racing. The highest speeds to be reached on the flats exceed 700 miles per hour, and some racers are making plans to try to top the 1,000 mph mark! Time will tell if this can be achieved.Many accounts vaunt Bonneville as the birthplace of hot rodding. Summer is the racing season, and the various races and speed trial events are most often open to the general public. The racers come from all over the globe, and the spot that is most used for racing events is known as the Bonneville Speedway. Speed trials are also common events, with many entrants hoping to set a record with either a car or a motorcycle. One of the main reasons why the Bonneville Salt Flats area is so renowned is the fact that it is used for car races. It is about a five minute drive from Exit 4 on the freeway. Once the water evaporates, wind takes over, smoothing the surface. It is also a good option (and almost as quick) if you are coming from Salt Lake. In the winter, a shallow layer of water covers the flats, and it remains in place until spring and sometimes early summer. Wind and water helped to shape the terrain, and they continue to do so to this day. When the lake dried up, various salt flat areas were left behind, with the Bonneville area being the most renowned. This ancient lake once covered a significant portion of Utah, as well as parts of Idaho and Nevada. The Bonneville Salt Flats, as is true of the nearby Great Salt Lake, is a remnant of Lake Bonneville.
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