The first set of photos from Bonneville that I posted on my racing blog was all about the strange beauty of its landscape -- salt, sky, mountains, light, and vast, limitless space. As I said in that post, it was my first trip to the Salt Flats, and I found the other-worldly landscape almost overwhelming.
A new collection (also on my racing blog) is different. It's about the amazing cars and bikes that I saw, and the cool people that I met, at the Southern California Timing Association's Speed Week 2011. As you'll see, however, the Bonneville's landscape never ceases to provide a gorgeous backdrop for photography. Two of the photos are right below. You can see many more, here.
Crew members push Fred Lobello's belly tank lakester toward an inspection station. As the name implies, this purpose-built land speed racer was made (in 1969) from the belly fuel tank of an airplane, in this case a US Air Force Convair B-58 bomber. All competing cars and motorcycles undergo a rigorous inspection to ensure that all required safety equipment is present and that they comply with the rules for their classes. Bonneville, August 2011. [Photos copyright John Edwin Mason, 2011. Click on either image to see a much larger version.]
It looks like sunset, but it's not. The rosy glow comes from the rising sun. That's Ralph Hudson, and he's about to set a class record on his 650cc Suzuki at 202.570 mph. Bonneville, August 2011.
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