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LandSpeed Louise: Fast Women, Faster Stories
They call me “LandSpeed Louise”—a gal with a Ph.D. from the University of Concrete, Salt, and Speed. People love me, hate me, but they rarely forget me.
When I tell people what I do for a living, I get two reactions: the blank stare—like I just fell off Saturn—or the horrified look, as if I admitted to snacking on manure. Why? Because I live for speed. I’ve chased it across drag strips, race tracks, and now the wide-open salt.
From Fire-Breathing Jets to the Salt Flats
I started my motorsports life strapped into a 250-MPH jet dragster, spitting fire and scaring the daylights out of my competition. Then I shifted gears into journalism, test-driving everything on two and four wheels for magazines and newspapers around the world.
But by the late ’90s, Bonneville called my name—and I answered. I found myself on the legendary salt flats, where the horizon stretches forever and speed has no gender.
The Search for Fast Women
In 2020, I launched a little research project: Find 100 women who had set land speed records. Easy, right? Ha! A few months later, my head exploded when I learned just one photo I took of 20 female racers represented over 200 records. One group. Two hundred records.
That sent me digging. One hundred days later, I had documented 300 women—ages 16 to 80—who had raced at Bonneville and beyond. These weren’t all pros. Some were seasoned speed demons, others were moms, students, and first-timers. One teenage girl came just to beat her brothers—and she smoked them.
Who knew? Not me—and I’m considered the sport’s historian.
What Makes Bonneville Special
There are only three places on Earth where you can run for land speed records: the Bolivian Andes, Australia’s Lake Gairdner, and the Bonneville Salt Flats on the Utah-Nevada border. Since 1914, dreamers and builders have hauled their creations to this shimmering white expanse for one reason: to answer the eternal question—“How fast will it go?”
Bonneville is big. So big, you could drive 100 MPH with your eyes closed for a full minute and hit nothing. (Don’t ask how I know that.)
Setting a record isn’t just about mashing the throttle. You need two perfect runs over a timed course, averaged together. And stopping? Just as important as going. Ask anyone who’s tried to slow a rocket on salt.
Fast Women Who Blew My Mind
These women shattered stereotypes and the timing lights:
Veda Orr (1946): The OG, blasting her roadster down the salt just like the guys.
Paula Murphy (1960s): First gal to pilot a jet car on a water-soaked course at 200 MPH—on her first try.
Marcia Holley (1978): Broke a 25-year ban on women and joined the Bonneville 200 MPH Club with a 229 MPH motorcycle record, then came back with a 272 MPH car.
Maddie Stringfellow (Age 16): Got her license, graduated high school, and earned a racing license in the same week. Yes, those shoes were fireproof.
Sweet Sandy Vetter (75): Started racing motorcycles at 75, quit at 80—with a pile of records.
Kitty O’Neil: Deaf stuntwoman, fearless racer, 514 MPH in a rocket car.
And that’s just a handful. Today, I’d bet there are 350 women holding 1,000 records—or more.
Why the Salt Matters
Bonneville is the biggest welcome mat in motorsports. It’s not like some racing scenes where women get sidelined—or worse, sabotaged. Out here, you’re not eye candy. You’re a racer.
And here’s what I learned: gender has nothing to do with controlling a machine at 300 MPH. Good input gets good output—man or woman. A record is a record.
Our own team still holds the world’s fastest wheel-driven record at 458 MPH, set in 2001. To put that in perspective: St. Louis to Chicago takes four and a half hours by car. We could do it in 39 minutes.
Your Invitation to the Fastest Party on Earth
Ladies, Bonneville is calling. You can start small—take a “fun run” in your own car—or go all-in with fireproof underwear and a 500-HP monster. Either way, you’ll find open arms and open salt.
There’s only courage, curiosity, and the will to push past what you thought was possible.
Grab a helmet. Line up on the long black line. And find out what fast feels like.
This is LandSpeed Louise saying:Stop watching from the sidelines. The salt is waiting for you.
Here’s her book about women in racing–too cool.
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