FROM THE ED.

Geographically, New Zealand is a small country. For most, there is a racetrack within a few hours’ drive, and for the average petrolhead, any sort of speed lust can be satisfied at these locations. But for a mad few, no local track will do. There is only one racetrack in their sights, and it just so happens to be some 7000 miles across the Pacific on the salt flats of Wendover, Utah, US.

Those salt flats are a hot rodder’s ultimate proving ground, and there’s never been a shortage of Kiwis planning, designing, building, and tuning their own creations to ship over and run there. Right now, we know of close to 10 such projects, and no doubt there’s plenty of others we don’t know about. So, what is it that drives people to go to such extremes just to race at that place?

I’ve never been to the salt, but it’s on my ‘I’m bloody going’ list — very near the top of it too. But if I’m honest, I don’t think I truly understand exactly what it is that draws me to the place. Perhaps I will get the answers after actually attending an event? I do know one thing that feeds it, though: the amount of content I consume about the racing. One of my recent favourites was the build series by Mad Fabricators on Lucky Burton called Stormin’ Bonneville, which you can find on YouTube.

Through my job, I’ve been lucky enough to interview plenty of those who have actually been, raced, and have the red cap to prove it. I’ve also been up close with some pretty special machinery that will forever wear the scars of the salt. But never before had I met Kiwi Steve, who I interviewed for this issue (see page 30). The thing that struck me most in learning about and talking to Steve was his attitude. He’s been in the US for 20-odd years, and in that time he’s been involved in some special land-speed projects for big companies and teams, but you wouldn’t know it. For me, what really struck a chord were Steve’s early exploits in his personal black Model A roadster that was also his daily driver at the time. He’d drive the roadster to the salt — or Muroc or El Mirage — race hard all week, and then drive it home for it to resume daily driving duties; he wasn’t doing it for the extra social-media content, either. Now, we’re not talking about a bygone era like the ’60s; no, this was in the mid to late ’90s! That is some true hot rodding right there! While most of us Kiwis still living here can’t replicate such antics — as any trip would start with a very expensive container ride — anyone building a race car here to campaign it at the salt will always receive my utmost respect.

The Kiwi mark on the salt is one that is long and proud. Burt Munro paved the way, and since then hundreds — I have no real numbers on this — have shipped their cars or bikes over in the hope of also entering those record books. Some succeeded in having their name entered into the record books, and many didn’t — but that’s OK, as the challenge of building a car and shipping it halfway around the world is a big enough achievement in itself, if you ask me. No, I’m not just being soft and handing out achievement awards. If what I know of the place and of running a car there to be true, even to make it through the week with a running vehicle is massive. On that note, how amazing is this month’s cover car of Andrew Sinclair? Give them hell once the borders open up, boys! And to all the other teams chipping away behind the privacy of their garage door — keep it up, you’ll get there! For me personally, for now at least, I can take solace in the fact that I’m most certainly not the only Kiwi who dreams of feeling the crunch of salt under their feet while drinking in the soundtrack of wide-open throttle for minutes at a time. But to strap on a helmet — well, don’t get me started on that one.