Electric Vehicles Make History at Bonneville’s Salt Flats

EVs Take on Bonneville’s Legendary Tracks

If El Mirage evokes the dusty charm of the old West, then Bonneville feels more like Mad Max meets the dragstrip. This isn’t just any dragstrip, though—it’s something far more iconic. As you drive onto the salt flats, there’s a feeling like stepping onto hallowed ground, a sensation akin to walking into the Roman Colosseum where gladiators once battled. For decades, legendary racers have left their mark here, and names like Burt Munro echo in the minds of those who respect speed. Even the vehicles are legendary, with names like the “Speed Demon,” the “Buckeye Bullet,” and the “Turbinator” capturing the imagination.

Familiar Faces, New Records

Once again, many familiar faces gather for the annual Speed Week, organized by the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) and Bonneville Nationals Inc. (BNI) since 1949. The electric vehicle (EV) presence is still small but growing. This year we saw two seasoned competitors, Matthew Deeley and Jim Hoogerhyde, returning to Bonneville—each with records under their belts.

The two trophies of Speed Week on display. The one on the left goes to the fastest motorcycle of the week, and the one on the right goes to the fastest car of the week. The “Wheeling Welshman” ends up being the fastest bike of the week putting his name on the Hudson Wheeler Memorial trophy and becoming the first EV to end up on a Speed Week trophy in history.

Just a month earlier at El Mirage dry lakebed in California, Deeley set a record on the electric motorcycle, clocking in at 214.034 mph. Hoogerhyde, piloting the Nebulous Theorem II, reached an impressive 224.521 mph. Now, they’re back to take on the salt flats.

Bonneville presents a whole new set of challenges compared to El Mirage. Not only is the surface different, but the courses are much longer.

Racing on the Salt: A Different Game

Bonneville presents a whole new set of challenges compared to El Mirage. Not only is the surface different, but the courses are much longer. El Mirage features a short 1.3-mile course, while Bonneville includes a short course of 3 miles and a long course of 5 miles. The longer track allows racers to hit higher speeds, but there’s a catch: Records at Bonneville are based on the average speed of your best two consecutive runs.

Achieving a record-breaking speed once is hard enough, but maintaining that pace over two separate runs is an enormous challenge. Just because conditions were perfect for a record run before, doesn’t mean you’ll get the same conditions or the same speed next time. Weather and track conditions can vary, especially on a motorcycle, where a mere 5 mph crosswind can drastically affect performance.

Eddy Borysewicz, Rick Vesco & Eric Ritter of Team Vesco/Revolt Systems.

A new addition to the salt, these tall “Batteries” flags must be flown anywhere in The Pits where EVs are present.

Ohio State’s Buckeye Current: The Future of EV Racing

Another electric contender at Bonneville this year was Ohio State University’s Buckeye Current, a student-led team that prides itself on being the world’s leading collegiate electric motorcycle racing team. With the support of Voxan Motors, the team’s Beyond Motor AXM2-powered bike ridden by Louis-Marie Blondel achieved a top speed of 184 mph with fairings and 157 mph without fairings in the A-Omega race class.

As technology evolves and the competition heats up, the future of land speed racing looks faster than ever.

After Speed Week, I caught up with Laura Friedmann, a test rider and team lead for Buckeye Current. They returned for the Bonneville Motorcycle Speed Trials (BMST), clocking an impressive 168.712 mph in the A-W under 150 kg class. Looking ahead, the team aims to break the 200 mph barrier with a focus on refining the battery pack and maximizing the bike’s potential. “The team plans to iterate on this version of the motorcycle as there is plenty of power to still unlock,” Friedmann explained.

Part of Team Vesco/Revolt Systems & Team Costella Hoogerhyde with the 444 & 666 cars. Fastest EVs on the planet!

Salt or snow? The conditions of the Salt were definitely the best they’ve been in the last few seasons, but it was still fairly wet in sections & was definitely sticking to everything.

The Race for 300 mph

The stars of the show, however, were Matthew Deeley and Jim Hoogerhyde. Deeley set a blistering pace, averaging 227.434 mph with a top run of 236 mph. Hoogerhyde, meanwhile, averaged a jaw-dropping 306.169 mph, with a peak run just over 313 mph. At Bonneville, this honor is marked by different colored caps: a red cap for records over 200 mph and a blue cap for those surpassing 300 mph. These caps are worn proudly across the land speed racing community and are held in high esteem. The ultimate symbol of achievement is the black cap, reserved for those who set records over 400 mph.

Achieving a record-breaking speed once is hard enough, but maintaining that pace over two separate runs is an enormous challenge.

But these achievements didn’t come without setbacks. Deeley encountered unexpected tire rubbing at higher speeds, which required a last-minute modification, while Hoogerhyde faced a parachute failure on his final qualifying run. Fortunately, he managed to bring the car to a safe stop, though not without ripping off the vehicle’s stabilizer.

Team Vesco & Revolt Systems’ Little Giant made both the front page of the paper for the week & also onto the official Speedweek merch.

Ohio states bike displaying the official 2024 Bonneville Speed Week inspection sticker & short course designation.

The Impact of Weather and EV Evolution

Weather has been another hurdle for racers, with rainouts plaguing recent seasons. The last major EV record at Bonneville was set by Team Vesco/Revolt Systems, with their 444 “Little Giant” car hitting 353.87 mph earning them a spot on this year’s Speed Week merchandise. Jim Hoogerhyde’s Nebulous Theorem II is also featured on El Mirage merchandise this season. It’s exciting to see EVs making such a big impact in land speed racing, becoming the literal “poster boys” of 2024.

While the “Little Giant” was present on the salt this year, it didn’t race. Team Vesco plans to return to gas-powered engines for future races, potentially reappearing on the salt in 2025.

As for Buckeye Current, they’ve wrapped up for the season, but the team plans to return next year for both Speed Week and BMST. Meanwhile, Deeley and Hoogerhyde continue to push their limits, with several races left in the SCTA calendar.

The official time slip showing a top speed of 236.097mph through mile 3.

EV Motorcycle racers & record holders, Louis-Marie Blondel & Matthew Deeley.

Matthew Deeley aka “The Wheeling Welshman”, the fastest EV motorcycle at Bonneville in history & the fastest motorcycle of Speed Week 2024.

The Future of Land Speed Racing

This year, Matthew Deeley made history as the fastest motorcycle—gas or electric—at Speed Week 2024, earning his place on the Hudson Wheeler Memorial Trophy—the first EV to ever do so. The presence of EVs, though small, is clearly making an impact. With technology advancing and teams like Buckeye Current, Deeley, and Hoogerhyde leading the charge, the electric revolution in land speed racing is only just beginning.

Jim Hoogerhyde’s reflection sums up the spirit of the sport perfectly: “We don’t own the records; we just borrow them for a while.” As technology evolves and the competition heats up, the future of land speed racing looks faster than ever.