Michael Satterfield
El Mirage is a magical place, several times a year the dusty nearly flat dry lakebed is transformed into one of the fastest places on earth. Teams from mostly western states make their way to log times with the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), from classic hot rods reliving the glory days of speed to modern streamliners that look more like fighter jets than cars, El Mirage hosts them all, with speeds reaching over 200mph.
Spectators from around the world come to witness it for themselves, the dust, noise, and thrills of man and machine at the ragged edge. Actress and model Anemone Jones had never been to El Mirage but had been wanting to visit the otherworldly lakebed since moving to the LA area.
So I loaded up the Mustang, picked her up, and we headed out to one of the few land speed tracks left. Arriving early on a Sunday morning the dust limited visibility to just a few feet in some sections, when you are driving around El Mirage you have to be on the lookout for other cars, motorcycles, and even small aircraft. As you drive, it seems like the lakebed goes on forever until the dust settles and in the distance, you can see the staging lanes and pits.
The land speed racing community is small so I see many of the same cars, racers, and spectators from my previous trips to the lake. But at El Mirage the weather is ever-changing from dark clouds and wind-whipped dust clouds to blue skies and claim breezes in a matter of minutes. But the weather doesn’t phase the racers and with regularity, the silence of the lake is shattered by the roar of a racer chasing a new record.
If you would like to plan your own trip to El Mirage or Bonneville visit the SCTA official website HERE to see the current schedule of races. Enjoy the photos below and for more from Anemone follow her on Instagram @anemonejones
