BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS UTAH SPEED WEEK

Special Thanks to Goodson Tools and Microlon Metal Treatment for their generous support.

Bonneville Speed Week is held once a year. It is all about top speed, but it is no simple task. Thousands of cars attempts passes across the salt flats every year killing hundreds of engines and thousands of pistons. Most fail by the third day, pack up and go home. The desert heat and high altitude of 6,500 feet makes speed records difficult. Countless hours are spent tuning and repairing engines. Engines are run at full power for several minutes to gain top speed and it is extremely brutal on the motor. Bonneville is quite the different spot on this earth, in fact it doesn’t even resemble earth. Some have been going there for 40 years or more and still haven’t made their mark, and many have died trying.

Now enter Jeff of Progress Auto. No stranger to race tracks. Jeff has worked at the Indy 500 before many import racers even thought about driving. Racers around the world know about Progress and their trick suspension, many don’t know of his expertise in engine building, or racing experience. In 2001 Progress Auto surprised the import world with not one but two cars built for speed. And as difficult as it may be, they pulled off several records in the first year of competition. Not content with just the WORLDS RECORD, Progress Auto sought more power and more speed. An advanced cylinder head from DPR and a freshly built engine by engineer Jeff was finished in just a short time and it was off to Bonneville again for the Worlds Finals. Jonathan and Jeff did it again.

THE WORLDS FASTEST HONDA.

John from Speedworks gave some great track support. It is no simple feat a new head, a new driver (John Thawley) with salt flat experience, and track support. Crew supported by DPR, Jonathan, and Speedwork’s John were among the ones to make it happen. Photographers from the import car magazines and many hours of work produced a record on the last day of the shorter event. Sponsors, workers, volunteers, top products, tuning and lots of sweat is needed just to try let alone succeed. The results were 184 mph fastest average run and a happy group of hard working guys.

Official record in G\BGALT Class was set at 174.760 MPH.