Speed Week 2027 is scheduled for July 31 to August 6, 2027, according to the Southern California Timing Association's Bonneville information page. It runs on the Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover, about 165 miles and a little under three hours from downtown Provo by an OpenStreetMap routing estimate (OSRM, no traffic). In 2026, spectator admission was $25 a day or $60 for the event, sold only at the gate.
If you are reading this in late October, this year's racing is done. The 2026 meet ran Saturday, August 1 through Friday, August 7, and the SCTA has posted the results. This page is for planning next August, and for knowing what the flats are like the rest of the year.
What Speed Week is
Speed Week is the SCTA's biggest Bonneville meet, run with Bonneville Nationals Inc. under a permit from the Bureau of Land Management. It is not a race in the wheel-to-wheel sense. Each vehicle runs alone against the clock, trying to set or break a record in its class, and the classes range widely: when the 2025 schedule was announced, the industry trade press described entries from streamliners capable of more than 500 mph down to vintage 50cc motorcycles that struggle to reach 50.
The venue is part of the appeal. The BLM describes the salt flats as about 12 miles long and 5 miles wide, roughly 30,000 acres of hard white salt crust left by ancient Lake Bonneville, with the crust almost 5 feet thick near the center. Racing here goes back to 1914, when Teddy Tetzlaff drove a Blitzen Benz 141.73 mph for an unofficial record. Utah's own Ab Jenkins set endurance records here in the 1930s in a Studebaker called the Mormon Meteor and helped lure Sir Malcolm Campbell to the salt in 1935. By 1949, the BLM says, Bonneville was the standard course for world land speed records, and the 300, 400, 500 and 600 mph barriers all fell on it.
How spectating works
- Buy your pass at the event. The SCTA listed 2026 fees as a $60 Salt Pass pin (event pass) or a $25 day pass, both "only available for purchase at the event."
- You can walk the pits. In a past Speed Week release, the BLM said paying spectators can walk through the pits, view the cars and talk with drivers and crews. For most people, that access is the best part of the day: the cars, the engineering and the people who built them are right there.
- Nobody sleeps on the salt. The same BLM release said all spectators and participants must leave the flats each day to find camping or lodging.
- The flats are closed to everyone else that week. During permitted events the BLM closes the salt to general access beyond designated areas. You may travel up to 100 feet onto the salt from the portal sign without paying the event fee, but the BLM says driving around event gates is trespassing.
- It is a long, bright, exposed day. There is no shade on the salt and the white surface reflects sun from below. Bring sunglasses, sunscreen, a hat, more water than you think you need, and chairs. The trade press's 2025 announcement said local and out-of-state vendors sell food and drinks, but carry your own water anyway.
Salt and your car. Salt is corrosive. After any drive on the flats, rinse the underside of your car well. A stop at a car wash before the drive home is worth the few dollars.
Getting there
From Provo: I-15 north to Salt Lake City, then I-80 west across the Great Salt Lake Desert. OSRM's route is about 42 miles of I-15 and 116 miles of I-80. The BLM's directions from there: take Exit 4, head north and follow signs to the Speedway, then turn right on Leppy Pass Road toward the flats. There is a parking area at the end of the road.
Leave early. Racing days start early, and the 2025 schedule printed by the trade press showed record return runs at 7:30 a.m. Leaving Provo at 4:30 or 5 a.m. puts you on the salt in the cooler morning hours, which is also the easiest time to be out on a surface with no shade.
Where to stay
Wendover is two towns: Wendover, Utah, and West Wendover, Nevada, side by side on the state line. The Nevada side has the casinos and most of the hotel rooms. Our Great Salt Lake and salt flats guide explains the two towns, the time zone quirk and the World War II airfield, which is the best thing to do in Wendover in the afternoon heat.
During Speed Week, rooms fill with racers and crews. Book as soon as the SCTA confirms the dates.
The whole racing season, for context
Speed Week is one of several events. The BLM's 2026 exclusive-use schedule:
| Dates (2026) | Event |
|---|---|
| June 25 to July 1 | USFRA Test and Tune |
| July 7 to 13 | ECTA Bonneville Mile |
| July 27 to Aug. 8 | SCTA Speed Week |
| Aug. 9 to 15 | Private event |
| Aug. 20 to 28 | Motorcycle Speed Trials |
| Aug. 30 to Sept. 8 | USFRA World of Speed |
| Sept. 23 to 29 | SCTA World Finals |
The BLM windows include setup and teardown, so they are longer than the racing itself. The SCTA listed World Finals 2026 for September 26 to 29, for example, inside the BLM's September 23 to 29 window. The 2027 BLM schedule had not been posted as of October 2026.
Why dates move and meets get canceled. Racing depends on the condition of the salt, which depends on how much rain fell and how fast it dried. Past meets have been canceled when the salt was too wet or too thin to race safely. The BLM, the potash operator at Wendover and the racing community run a salt laydown program, pumping brine onto the flats in spring to add to the crust. Our salt flats guide covers the long argument over why the crust has thinned.
The danger is real. Land speed racing is dangerous for the people in the cars. During the 2026 meet, a driver was critically injured in a crash on Thursday, August 6, according to Valley News Live.
Visiting the flats outside race season
The BLM says the salt flats are generally open to the public with no day-use fee. The catch is water: motor vehicles are restricted by a seasonal closure in spring when the salt is moist or covered with standing water, with dates posted by sign. Driving on wet salt damages the crust and gets cars stuck. The rest of Tooele County is in things to do in Tooele and the West Desert.
In late October, with racing over, the flats are quiet. Fall rain can leave water on the surface, so check conditions before committing to the drive.
If you go on an off-season day, pair the salt with something else. Our Sun Tunnels guide covers Nancy Holt's land art north of Wendover, and the Spiral Jetty and Golden Spike guide covers the other big West Desert art day. For more trips by distance, see day trips from Provo.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Bonneville Speed Week 2027?
Did Speed Week happen in 2026?
How much does it cost to watch Speed Week?
How far are the Bonneville Salt Flats from Provo?
Can you walk the pits at Speed Week?
Can you drive on the salt flats during Speed Week?
What other races run on the Bonneville Salt Flats?
Can I visit the salt flats now, in the off-season?
Sources
The facts in this guide were checked against these sources. Hours, fees and rules change, so confirm anything time-sensitive with the source before you go. How we make Provo.com.
- Bonneville Salt Flats SRMA (2026 schedule of events, history, directions), Bureau of Land Management, Utah. Checked October 20, 2026.
- The BLM welcomes Speed Week to Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats (archived 2017 release), Bureau of Land Management. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Bonneville general info (2026 spectator fees, SpeedWeek 2027 dates, World Finals 2026), Southern California Timing Association. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Speed Week 2026 final results, Southern California Timing Association. Checked October 20, 2026.
- BLM Utah announces Bonneville race dates for 2026, Performance Racing Industry. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Schedule announced for 77th annual SpeedWeek, August 2-8, Performance Racing Industry. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Fargo racer critically injured in Utah land speed crash, Valley News Live. Checked October 20, 2026.
- OSRM route service (OpenStreetMap data), driving estimates from Center St & University Ave, Provo, Project OSRM. Checked October 20, 2026.
- Google Places listings (coordinates, addresses, hours), Google. Checked October 20, 2026.
