Of tinkerers and dreamers: striving to be the fastest on the salt on Lake Gairdner

Hundreds of drivers and crew converge on the South Australian dry lake to test their mettle against some of the world’s fastest land vehiclesFew people understand speed and salt better than Marlo Treit. At 87 years old, the Canadian-born veteran of salt lake racing this month returned to Lake Gairdner to once again test his mettle against some of the fastest vehicles on dry land in the world.Lake Gairdner is Australia’s home of salt lake racing. Each year the Dry Lakes Racers Australia Speed Week attracts about 230 racers from across Australia and as far afield as US and UK. To the untrained observer, the range and diversity of vehicles might better resemble a gathering in Wacky Racers: from the high-expense, high-octane “streamline” and “Belly tank” (former B-52 fuel tanks) classes to the more fashionable, vintage hot rods and low-expense, back yard bashed-up postie bikes. There are hundreds of classes of vehicles.Competitors and support crews enter Lake Gairdner in the early morning for the day’s racing Continue reading...

Mar 18, 2025 - 17:03

Of tinkerers and dreamers: striving to be the fastest on the salt on Lake Gairdner

Hundreds of drivers and crew converge on the South Australian dry lake to test their mettle against some of the world’s fastest land vehicles

Few people understand speed and salt better than Marlo Treit. At 87 years old, the Canadian-born veteran of salt lake racing this month returned to Lake Gairdner to once again test his mettle against some of the fastest vehicles on dry land in the world.

Lake Gairdner is Australia’s home of salt lake racing. Each year the Dry Lakes Racers Australia Speed Week attracts about 230 racers from across Australia and as far afield as US and UK. To the untrained observer, the range and diversity of vehicles might better resemble a gathering in Wacky Racers: from the high-expense, high-octane “streamline” and “Belly tank” (former B-52 fuel tanks) classes to the more fashionable, vintage hot rods and low-expense, back yard bashed-up postie bikes. There are hundreds of classes of vehicles.

Competitors and support crews enter Lake Gairdner in the early morning for the day’s racing Continue reading...