BONNEVILLE SALT FLATS - A long line of vintage cars, modernistic streamliners, experimental vehicles and motorcycles lined up for inspection Sunday at the start of Bonneville Nationals SpeedWeek, a testament to the allure of salt and speed.

"I drove 2,000 miles to drive three miles," said Ken Cook of Grantford, Ontario, Canada, as he waited to have his 1953 modified Ford flatbed truck inspected so he could run the 1.5-mile out-and-back course on the legendary Salt Flats sometime this week.

Sir Malcolm Campbell of Great Britain began using the glistening, surrealistic landscape, administered by the Bureau of Land Management, as a place to set world land speed records in the 1930s, and racers seeking speed have traveled here ever since.

During SpeedWeek, a camper city arises near the entrance of the recreation area, where vehicles of all shapes and sizes cruise the salt as racers share tools, stories and speed.

The event even features a nondenominational service hosted by Racers for Christ, an organization founded to address the "emotional and spiritual needs" of motor-racing Christians, as the group's chaplain, Gary DaShiell, explained in this year's program.

There were 355 cars and 130 bikes, representing 37 states and five countries including New Zealand, Britain and France, pre-registered to participate in this year's Speed Week, which the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA) started as a trial event in 1949. Sixteen entries are from Utah.

SCTA official JoAnn Carlson said the combined impact of fuel prices and a lack of available hotel rooms caused a slight drop in entries from last year's 540.

The fastest car is expected to be the blown fuel streamliner owned by Tom, Gene and Betty Burkland of Great Falls, Mont., which has gone as fast as 417.02 miles per hour.

But the spirit and strangeness of the event may be better captured by a driver like Zachary Norman of Venice, Calif., who will try to set a record in the Omega class on his electric Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

He said the experimental bike is built around a frame of a 1940s-vintage Harley and is intended for street use. After plugging it in to a normal socket, he expects it to go well over 70 mph.

Bob Steele of Wichita, Kansas, a member of the 200-mile per hour club, hasn't missed the Bonneville Nationals since 1978. When asked why, he pointed to the flats.

"That big white piece of real estate out there," he said. "All the gearheads come to have fun. We enjoy the scenery. The salt has a face to it. There is an allure to it. Everyone comes out to spectate or to help. Everybody is doing it for the challenge to go fast. There is no money and no real glory."

Cal Ferguson of Port Dover, Ontario, said that, unlike NASCAR, running on the salt doesn't cost $10 million "just to get a driver's foot in the door."

Officials and drivers are all praising the condition of the salt flats. Many say this is the best condition the course has been in for more than 30 years.

"It just happens," said the SCTA's Warren Bullis. "Some years we have bumps. Some years it is smooth. It's just right this year."

wharton@sltrib.com

SpeedWeek happens in a hurry

The 60th annual Bonneville Nationals SpeedWeek runs through Sunday. Pits open today through Saturday at 6 a.m., with record return runs on all courses starting at 7 a.m. Pits close at dusk each day. On Sunday, record returns will run on the same day. On Thursday, Hot Wheels will celebrate its 40th anniversary on the Salt Flats with life-size Hot Wheels Cars, historic memorabilia, custom Hot Wheels driver licenses, a limited giveaway of road trip die-cast vehicles, and autograph sessions with Hot Wheels Designers. Admission is $15 for spectators, free for kids 12 and under and active military. A weeklong pass is $40.