I've posted some film on Youtube of Craig Breedlove's spectacular crash at Bonneville on Oct. 15, 1964. That was when he careened off the end of the course in his "Spirit of America" jet car after losing both his chutes and his brakes--and his steering, which broke when he was going into the mile. Included is the actual footage shot by the jet car's on-board camera. The camera was torn off in the crash into the brine pond but a diver managed to retrieve it. One thing that's kind of confusing about Craig's crash: the brine pond where he ended up was not much more than ankle-deep. Unseen under the surface, however, was a very deep trench. "Spirit" careened across the thin sheet of water and plunked nose-first down into this trench. This is how Craig almost drowned in what seemed such shallow water. Anyway, here's the video! (posted by Samuel Hawley, author of Ultimate Speed: The Fast Life and Extreme Cars of Racing Legend Craig Breedlove )
I remember when that happened, back then the newspapers actually had some coverage of the “speed wars” from the salt flats. Now I wouldn’t buy a newspaper unless I needed to line a bird cage.
Cool Vid! Thanks! I can/could only feel what his old man was going through.... Damn! Can you say- pioneer? F YES! Long live that moment!
Breedlove's daughter and wife lived just around the corner from us in Costa Mesa, CA. in the mid 1960's and we went to the same elementary school, and about 2 years after this accident Presidio School had an "***embly" with Craig showing a film of this accident and his other salt flat exploits. The instant the film ended Breedlove was rushed by a swarm of 5th graders, including me.
I can still remember the cover of Hot Rod Magazine with the tail up photo,might still have it somewhere. Thanks for posting the video.
The last time I was at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago it was parked in there. Along with the film about 30 years ago. Denny
Enclosed are four pics from the SCTA World Finals in early October of this year. The rain came at the end of day one, so we only got one day of racing in. As you can see in the pic of my daughter and I, the water is barely 1/2" deep (this is in the pits about 4 miles onto the salt looking west.) The south end of The Bonneville Speedway, where you drive out onto the salt, the ground is slightly lower, so for maybe 1/2 mile the water is maybe 2" to 3" deep. You can see that the Turbinator is being towed through slightly deeper water. The first picture is taken from the end of the access road where you drive onto the salt. This view is looking north out onto the course. The course is prepped for 10 miles heading towards "floating mountain" which is at least 13 or 14 miles in the distance. You can see floating mountain in the center of the horizon in the first pic and you can see it in most pics and videos of runs taken over the years at Bonneville. You can also see the **** in the background of the first pic on the right. It is to the east or southeast of the course depending on how far onto the salt they make the starting line. The **** makes a loop out from Interstate 80 to the north. The ditch or c**** that Breedlove drove into would have been there from the salt that was bulldozed up to build the ****. The **** runs almost parallel (30 degrees?) to the course for maybe 2 miles, but Breedlove was quickly approaching the interstate and the end of the salt. He had left the course and was at least 1/4 mile east when he crossed the **** and hit the poles. Back in the time that Breedlove made this p*** they ran the cars north and then turned around and made the backup run heading back south. The problem with this is that there is the **** and Interstate 80 at the south end of the course. Now, the course starts about a mile out onto the salt and they only run the cars to the north. You still have quite a few miles of salt past the 10 mile course to slow down if you loose your chutes or brakes although the salt surface gets quite bumpy as the course ends. Once you make your run you tow the car back south to the starting line and you would make your backup p*** heading north again. If you make a qualifying run you are required to put the car in the quarantine area for four hours before you make the back up run.
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