50 Authentic American Experiences

With all respect to NASCAR, the country's most breathtaking racing might well be found on the Bonneville Salt Flats, a 30,000-acre expanse of white in Utah that's so barren that not even the simplest forms of life can exist there. The flats have witnessed the setting of nearly every land-speed record, going all the way back to the first in 1914, set by Teddy Tezlaff who cranked his Blitzen Benz up to 141.73 mph. Each year during Speed Week, hundreds of drivers descend on the flats to test the limits of their souped-up roadsters. And Al Gore should be pleased; last year, an electric car was clocked at 207 m.p.h.