Bonneville Salt Flats International Raceway, UT –Team Vesco’s Turbinator II, driven by Dave Spangler, Dana Point, CA, eclipsed the current 458MPH World Record clocking a blistering 482.646 MPH certified National Record in T-3 Class during the World of Speed time trials hosted by the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association (USFRA) held September 14 – 17.
Team Vesco is not done. The team will return to the salt in October focused on earning the distinction of becoming the first wheel driven car to exceed 500MPH. Spangler’s top, one-way speed of 492 MPH puts the team within eight miles per hour of its 500MPH goal.
“We have the power with our 5,000HP Lycoming internal combustion shaft turbine engine and will attempt to finish the job at the SCTA’s World Finals,” said Driver Spangler of the upcoming October 2-5 event. “We have a good chance to reach our magic 500 number and invite visitors to witness hot rod history in real time!”
Due to an extremely dry spring and summer the halite salt crust presents a concrete like hard surface, which lends itself to great traction racing. The amateur racing community agrees the 2018 track is the best racing surface in two decades.
“People need to remember that the salt surface remains very thin,” cautioned car owner Rick Vesco. “Decades of BLM mismanagement has allowed evaporative mining operations to pump away millions of tons of salt for more than 50 years and we trust that the Save The Salt Coalition’s multi-tiered and multi-year restoration plans will rebuild our 13-mile International Raceway to safe racing conditions. We are ready to vie for a new FIA World Record, but salt is not”
Team Vesco sets 482MPH National Speed Record higher than its current 458MPH World Speed Record!