Racers debate why, but their common scapegoat is a potash plant which made potassium chloride into a fertilizer. There are frequently weather delays, and the track is not as long nor as smooth as when Campbell raced in 1935. Racing on the salt flats has continued to be problematic. The course is 80 feet wide and believe me, it's a tough fight to keep on it through the full 11-mile course."28 Of course, Breedlove was going over 400 mph during these runs. Craig Breedlove explained, "Most people have a faulty impression of what it's like on the Salt Flats The salt isn't smooth-it's full of ridges and grooves, and in places the mud shows right through the crust. A 1965 Sports Illustrated article referred to the 19 accidents and contended, "Bonneville has become worse than Darlington or Daytona or any of the major places where the death factor is present." Commenting that on other tracks such as the Indianapolis 500 and Daytona, a driver could walk away from a crash, the article explained, "At anything over 350 the sheer speed figures to kill him no matter how he's protected."21įor the racers traveling in the rarified atmosphere of the ultimate land speed, the view was different. In September 1962 Glenn Leasher died in an attempted run in ajet car. Mickey Thompson refused to try Donald Campbell, Malcolm's son, rolled his car but escaped with a minor skull fracture Andy Brown, who was part of Campbell's team and had also been with his father's team in 1935, told reporters that the salt was in "much worse condition" than it had been when Malcolm Campbell raced there. Athol Graham died in his attempt to set a land speed record. Besides the broken records, there were also accidents and deaths during the 1960s.
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