Trucks and Bonneville have gone together since hot rodders first attacked the salt flats after World War II, but not always in the role that one might imagine. Naturally, the majority of workhorse duty was handled by a truck. Hauling man, machine, and all necessary accoutrements, there wasn’t a better option in the early days. It’s much the same today, though what was contemporary 50 years ago is now classic and what’s contemporary today is mostly in the diesel form. What’s interesting is that today, the presence of classic trucks on the salt is stronger in the form of actual race vehicles rather than relegated to support status. And some of those trucks crank out some pretty impressive speeds as well. Not bad for a bunch of old farm trucks!
Flying under the Bonneville...
Flying under the Bonneville Special banner and running a 2.3L Ford engine in an early Chevy pickup, the guys ran up to 112.138 on Sunday in a “time only” fashion, meaning their speed won’t be calculated toward a record. The crew used an early F-1 to push their race truck ’round the salt.
Y-Block Guy Racing’s unibody...
Y-Block Guy Racing’s unibody Ford is powered by a…wait for it…301ci Y-Block Ford engine. Driven by Tim McMaster, the Guys pushed the old Ford just past 140 mph, not bad for a 50-plus-year-old engine design!
Y-Block Guy Racing’s unibody...
Y-Block Guy Racing’s unibody Ford is powered by a…wait for it…301ci Y-Block Ford engine. Driven by Tim McMaster, the Guys pushed the old Ford just past 140 mph, not bad for a 50-plus-year-old engine design!
Flying under the Bonneville...
Flying under the Bonneville Special banner and running a 2.3L Ford engine in an early Chevy pickup, the guys ran up to 112.138 on Sunday in a “time only” fashion, meaning their speed won’t be calculated toward a record. The crew used an early F-1 to push their race truck ’round the salt.
PE Inc. Racing ran this 305ci...
PE Inc. Racing ran this 305ci V-8-powered C10 in the Production Pickup class to a speed of 142.219 on Monday on the short course. Not bad for a truck with such a large frontal area.
With a speed of 104.661 mph...
With a speed of 104.661 mph on the short course, you wouldn’t think much of the Indian Land Special’s performance at first glance. That is, until you peek under the hood and see that this F-1 is running a vintage flat knocker.
Norris Andersen’s Husky Liners...
Norris Andersen’s Husky Liners ’49 Studebaker runs in the Modified Pickup class powered by two separate big-block Chevy engines—one at 820 hp and another at 1,275 hp. Norris’ Stude has reached a top speed of 221.835 mph on the salt and set a record in the AA/Modified Pickup class back in 2010 with a speed of 219.331.
Of course there were a handful...
Of course there were a handful of trucks out on the salt performing “traditional” hauling duties, including yours truly.
Another truck running a vintage...
Another truck running a vintage flathead, this F-100 entered under the Black Creek Racing banner has seen many a Speed Week meet judging by the row of inspection stickers across the top of the windshield. The guys started off the week with a rookie pass of 97.867 mph on Saturday and finished the week with a speed of 113.293 mph on Thursday.
Aside from keeping tabs on...
Aside from keeping tabs on the truck happenings throughout the week, I was also privy to helping out on Kev Elliott’s roadster pickup that he’s been building up in the pages of Rod & Custom. Didn’t quite finish it in time to drive it on the salt … legally, but we did have a go ’round the outlying area before we left.
The Lilbit-O-Racing team entered...
The Lilbit-O-Racing team entered their 254ci-equipped Fleetside into the E engine class (184-260.99 cid) Production Pickup and started the week with a speed of 126.426. By Monday, the team had bumped up their speed to 135.134 mph with Larry Lancaster at the helm, qualifying for a class record.
While the exterior of most trucks competing at the Bonneville Salt Flats resemble their street brethren, the interior is a totally different story. Most of the same safety gear required in a 400-mph streamliner is required in a 100-mph street truck.