2013 not only marks the 65th running of the Bonneville Nationals and Speed Week, but also the 60th Birthday of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club. It’s one of the most prestigious and difficult clubs to join, which is why some people try their entire lives. Famous well known racers of all kinds have tried and failed dozen’s of times. In fact, current 200 MPH Club President Dan Warner spent 41 years coming to Bonneville before he finally was able to set a 200 mph record that would get him into the club. To hear Dan tell the story lets you know the level of emotional investment he has in the club, and he’s not alone, it’s a common sentiment among members.

Started in 1953 by Dean Batchelor, driver of the So-Cal Special, and Lou Kimsey, editor of Hop Up Magazine, the Bonneville 200 MPH Club was initially open only to American drivers. But when the Club met at the Bonneville Nationals in September of 1953 the members voted to also include foreign drivers and inducted three new members right then and there. And don’t for a second think that these guys were just barely squeaking into the 200 mph zone, as the slowest speed of the original five Americans was 222.57 mph.

Becoming a member of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club is not an easy task, and sometimes requires a record be set that is much higher than 200 MPH. How is that the case? You ask. Well, when more and more classes of vehicles were added to Bonneville Speed Week, and more and more records were open and available, it became obvious that some classes were going to require minimums. Not all classes have a minimum higher than 200 MPH, but some do. The simple explanation would be to use an example of class A, B, and C. If the record in A is 250 mph, and the record in C is 230 mph, but the B record is open and has not been contested, it is logical to assume that someone earning the right to be a 200 MPH Club Member would have to run at least 240 mph in B class.

Get it?

We happen to have several friends that are members of the Bonneville 200 MPH Club, and have made an attempt ourselves and failed. We are currently talking to several different people about opportunities to try again in 2014, and have to say that it means more to us now than it did when we tried the first time in 2009. Will we make it? For sure. Will it be next year? Who knows. It took Dan 41.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BONNEVILLE 200 MPH CLUB!

For more information on the Bonneville 200 MPH Club, including the 300 and 400 MPH Chapters, visit www.Bonneville200MPH.org