Over 80 years ago, the first pioneers of hot rodding rolled cobbled-together jalopys out to a dry lake bed known as the Bonneville Salt Flats. They chose this location because it was wide, flat, and long…perfect for chasing down top speed records that were so popular at the time. And this popularity has only grown, as has the legend of the Bonneville Salt Flats, which is widely regarded around the world as the go-to place for land speed record breaking.

Last weekend, the Southern California Timing Association, who holds regular events at the Bonneville Salt Flats, gathered together gearheads from the world over who wanted a shot at setting a speed record. This slick, well-produced 7-minute video attempts to gather some of the magic that brings racers from around the world to this desolate place.

Bonneville is Automotive Heaven, and this video does a pretty good job of laying it out nice and simple. The people are the heart of these regular racing events, but the cars are the soul…and what cars there are! Everything from hot rods to lead sleds, muscle cars to diesel trucks, imports, domestics and everything else you can think of turns out for a shot at the salt flats to set some records of their own, if they’re lucky.

It’s the only place in the world where you’ll find this kind of speed and diversity, both in the cars and the people. The Bonneville Salt Flats are a truly unique place, magical in a sense, a place unreplicated by either God or man. There is no mistaking the salt flats for anyplace else, and we think this video captures that sentiment nicely.

Sure, this is one of the longer YouTube videos you’ll watch today, but trust us when we say – it’s worth every minute!