2015 Bonneville Salt Flats Speed Trials – Salt Conditions Cause Cancellation
Last week, Triumph Motorcycles announced it had postponed its land-speed record attempt during the 2015 AMA Land Speed Grand Championship at Bonneville Salt Flats. This was due to injuries its pilot Guy Martin sustained during the Ulster Grand Prix in Northern Ireland. This saddened many fans of Guy Martin and Triumph.
But the news got sadder this week when the American Motorcyclist Association announced that the entire 2015 AMA Land Speed Grand Championship – also known as the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials and BUB Speed Trials – has been canceled due to poor salt conditions. The 2015 Bonneville Salt Flats Speed Trials was set for August 29 – September 3 at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover, Utah.
“Over the past year, we have all been working toward the goal of racing motorcycles at the Bonneville Salt Flats, and it is always our intent to run the premier motorcycle land speed racing event at Bonneville,” said Event Manager Delvene Manning. “However, we are always subject to Mother Nature to provide us with good conditions that we all dedicate our time and resources to.
“We have assessed the conditions, and we are unable to sustain the minimum standards for a premier event. It’s been an extremely difficult decision to make, and one we have not taken lightly. Our dedicated team has put in countless hours to evaluate the options for course layouts, the quality of the course, pit locations, salt flats on/off accessibility, course volume sustainability, and the impact on salt flats resources.”
Manning said the team appreciates everyone’s patience as they sort through the details of the cancellation, and they will be in touch with participants in the coming weeks with further information.
At last year’s Speed Trials, Ultimate MotorCycling contributor Gary Illimen set a new record in the 350cc Production/Production Classic Class. For more, read Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials 2014 | Diary of a New Record Holder.
For additional info on future events, rules, classes and existing records are available at www.BonnevilleSpeedTrials.com.
