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The Turbinator I

A Milestone in Land Speed Racing

On Exhibit

Team Vesco's 2001 Turbinator I on display at the San Diego Automotive Museum

2001 Team Vesco “Turbinator” I

  • Built and raced by salt flats giant Don Vesco
  • Set a land speed record of 458.440 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats on October 18, 2001
  • Features a unique four-wheel drive system powered by 3,850 hp turbine engine originally from a helicopter
  • Consistently achieved speeds over 400 mph

ESTABLISHED IN 1911

The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah:
a premiere venue for land speed records

2001 Turbinator I at the San Diego Automotive Museum

The Bonneville Salt Flats

Utah’s famed measured mile is located approximately seven miles beyond this marker, well in front of the mountains you see on the horizon. The elevation along the course is approximately 4,210 feet above sea level. The total length of the course may include the measured mile varies from year to year, but for recent runs, it has been laid out in a path 80 feet wide and approximately ten miles long with a black reference stripe down the middle. Due to the curvature of the Earth, it is impossible to see from one end of the course to the other.

Salt Flats Racing

The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah have been a premier venue for land speed records since 2012, as the vast, flat expanse of salt crust provides an ideal natural surface for high-speed racing. Bonneville Speedway, established in 1911, hosts annual events like Speed Week, drawing hundreds of racers competing in various speed categories. Notable achievements include Malcolm Campbell’s 301 mph record in 1935 and Gary Gabelich’s world land speed record 622 mph run in 1970.

2001 Turbinator I at the San Diego Automotive Museum
2001 Turbinator I at the San Diego Automotive Museum

Salt Flats Racing

The Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah have been a premier venue for land speed records since 2012, as the vast, flat expanse of salt crust provides an ideal natural surface for high-speed racing. Bonneville Speedway, established in 1911, hosts annual events like Speed Week, drawing hundreds of racers competing in various speed categories. Notable achievements include Malcolm Campbell’s 301 mph record in 1935 and Gary Gabelich’s world land speed record 622 mph run in 1970.

An old poster of the 2001 Turbinator I

Team Vesco

Despite challenges from deteriorating salt conditions in recent years, Bonneville remains the premier location for those pursuing the thrill of extreme speed. World-renowned Team Vesco has been racing on the salt flats since the 1950s and holds several records, including that of the fastest wheel-driven car in Turbinator II, which clocked 503.332 mph in 2018.

Team Vesco Racing began with Johnny Vesco’s involvement in the 1930s, and continued to evolve over the decades.

A gallery of images showcasing the Team Vesco 2001 Turbinator IA gallery of images showcasing the Team Vesco 2001 Turbinator IA gallery of images showcasing the Team Vesco 2001 Turbinator I

Come see the Turbinator in-person at the San Diego Automotive Museum!

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