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A $125 turbo, a rulebook, and a pile of blown parts shouldn’t add up to a Bonneville 200 MPH Club record—unless you’re Ross Powers. We sit down with Ross to chart his path from slow-but-stubborn drag passes on a Harley Sportster to a J-Class Lakester and a one-liter combo that set a 255 MPH record. The story is equal parts grit and guidance: mentors who open doors, a culture that treats records as borrowed trophies, and a set of principles that turn budget builds into bulletproof runs. Ross breaks down the physics that matter on salt—why suspension beats rigidity, where to add weight so the tires stay loaded, and how “real redline” is the point where power fades, not a number on a dial. He shares the pivot from fragile five-mile motors to durable 30-mile engines, the discipline of keeping a rookie pass under 200 in a car that wants to sprint in first, and the aerodynamic truth that lets small displacement punch far above its weight. If you’ve wondered how a tiny J Blown Fuel Lakester can deliver big speeds, this is your field guide. We also talk about the heart of land speed racing: rebuilding after crashes, honoring friends like John Boy, and inviting new people to trade spectating for staging lanes. From 130 and 150 clubs to smarter classes and better storytelling, Ross lays out practical ways to grow the sport without losing its soul. Along the way come the pit stories—dumpster fairings, rattle-can paint names, and the kind of gallows humor that makes week-long meets feel like family. Subscribe for more Land Speed Legends, share this one with a friend who loves fast problem-solving, and leave a review with your favorite takeaway. What lesson will you try on your next build?

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The salt doesn’t care about your plans, your budget, or your last name—and that’s exactly why Danny Thompson keeps coming back. From a childhood ban on racing to a 448 mph average in Challenger 2, Danny walks us through the moments that shaped him: motocross grit, off‑road savvy, open‑wheel precision, and the quiet craft of fabrication that keeps fast ideas alive.

We get into the early hooks—Mustangs on the 10‑mile circle, a red hat in a lakester, and a Mustang flight that turned seven end‑over‑ends into a lesson on composure. Then the long game: resurrecting Mickey Thompson’s 1968 streamliner with almost no money, sending thousands of sponsor pitches, and learning, run by run, what Bonneville expects from a team. The details are raw and specific, from fire bottles fogging a visor at 400 mph to the split‑second choice to throttle through a yawing 450 mph return, securing a 448 average and settling a 48‑year family benchmark.

We also celebrate the culture that makes this place different. Records are targets, not trophies; rivals call to congratulate; and a seven‑cylinder hack can topple a Vesco mark by 34 mph before an A motor goes in for the next hunt. Danny shares why he retired and sold Challenger 2 to clear debts, how Ferguson’s streamliner rekindled the chase, and where the dream points now: a three‑part Stand on the Gas series to fund and frame a shot at 500 mph in a piston‑powered Challenger 3.

If Bonneville matters to you—its history, its people, and its fragile surface—this conversation is a map of what it takes to turn legacy into action. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves fast machines, and leave a review telling us: do you think a 500 mph piston car is within reach?

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The unsung heroes of motorsports often operate just beyond the spotlight, their critical work making high-speed glory possible while ensuring competitors return safely. Monte Widdison stands as a perfect example – the tall, calm presence who's been the last person thousands of racers see before accelerating down Bonneville's Salt Flats.

For over 30 years, Monte has served as head starter for the Utah Salt Flats Racing Association, developing an approach to safety that racers credit with saving their lives. When Bob Dalton survived a 400+ mph crash, his first words to Monty were, "You saved my life," crediting the meticulous way Monty had tightened his safety belts. Similar testimonials from other survivors highlight how essential this final safety check truly is.

Beyond starting duties, Monte helped revolutionized course preparation techniques at Bonneville. He reveals the secrets of identifying the optimal salt surface (not bright white but a harder, grayish-opaque salt), creating perfectly straight courses using distant mountains as reference points, and preparing racers mentally for their runs. His insights into salt conditions and driving techniques provide rare, practical wisdom for anyone fascinated by land speed racing.

The stories Monte shares – from Bobby Unser initially resisting safety checks until Monte discovered his unlatched shoulder strap, to calming nervous racers with breathing exercises, to his adventures with temperamental course-dragging vehicles – paint a vivid picture of Bonneville's unique culture and challenges. They reveal how seemingly small details and procedures become life-critical when vehicles are exceeding speeds of 200 MPH plus.

Whether you're a land speed racing enthusiast, a motorsports fan, or simply curious about the extraordinary people behind extraordinary achievements, this conversation offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of those who make record speeds possible – one safety check, one mile of perfectly prepared salt at a time.

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