With 100 years of racing history being celebrated on the Bonneville Salt Flats this August at SCTA Speed Week, I thought it would be interesting to delve into some of the stuff that can be gleaned from looking at the 2014 pre-entry list and some of the standing records from B’Ville.

Land speed racing is not as stat driven as drag racing can be and for obvious reasons. There’s only a couple of numbers that matter and since there’s such a myriad of classes, it is virtually impossible to apply one number to the next. Even the guys chasing the huge numbers run such different setups that it is fun to consider all the options that are available to make power out there but virtually impossible to compare them heads up. Speed Week is a worldwide draw and if you don’t believe us, wait until you see some of the numbers we have for you below. I’m more excited to ship out west in a couple of weeks than I was for Christmas when I was nine.

That’s what this thing, this place, this whole scene does to you. I’m sweating now. OK, enough rambling. The numbers I have gathered below are largely taken from the 2016 pre-entry list and mostly apply to automotive entries (not motorcycles). That’s just what I decided to concentrate on. Lastly, that pre-entry list may include some people who won’t make the trip. I get it. This is an exercise in fun and something to spin your salt lick for next week.

ONTO THE INTERESTING PSUEDO-FACTOIDS!

100 – Years of racing on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

1,312 – The displacement (in cubic inches) of the four cylinder engine in the Blitzen Benz that Teddy Tezlaff drove on the salt in 1914 that kicked all this madness off.

550+ – The number of total entries on the 2014 SCTA Bonneville Speed Week pre-entry list.

28 – The number of racers on the pre-entry list that have specified that they’ll be running an engine of over 501ci displacement in (AA)

11 – The number of countries that competitors have listed as home. They are:

USA, Canada, France, New Zealand, Belgium, Isle of Man, Germany, Australia, Sweden, Scotland, UK (Isle of Man “technically” not a country, but we’re going with it)

8 – The number of entries on the list that specify they will be running a diesel engine

12 – The number of entires on the list that specify they will be running an engine in I or deeper, meaning less than 62ci of displacement.

26 – The number of entries on the list that specify they will be running in a streamliner class (all displacements and just cars for this number)

5 – The number of Bonneville records that stand over 400mph

15 – The number of Bonneville records that stand over 350mph

4 – The number of records set by diesel trucks at Bonneville over 200mph

59 – The number of competitors that have specified they will be running in a vintage engine class

39 – The number of US states that competitors (cars and bikes) list as home

100 – The number of entries that have specified they will be running in a blown class (cars only)

97 – The number of competitors entered in a roadster class

31 – The number of competitors entered in a lakester class

7 – The age of my son Tom who helped me compile all this stuff….he’s got the salt fever, too!