Need for Speed (MS On Grade) _P02_higher (New)

Daytona Beach is in North Florida, located on the eastern side of the peninsula. In the Daytona area, the beaches are covered with particles of sand made of a mineral called quartzite. Quartzite is a very hard material. When slightly damp, like when the tide goes out, it creates a surface that is almost like cement. Daytona Beach sand is unique compared to other beaches in Florida further south. Most Florida beaches have sand particles of the mineral calcite. 

Calcite does not pack as tightly together and the individual particles are not as hard as the quartzite sand of Daytona. You need a special vehicle to be able to drive on the beaches in South Florida.

Many speed records were set on Daytona Beach up until the year 1935. In 1935, a racer named Malcolm Campbell set a land speed record of 276 miles per hour! The next year, Malcolm took his car, the Bluebird, to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah where his car went even faster, breaking the 300 mph barrier. Ever since that record-breaking speed was recorded, Bonneville in Utah has been the choice location for record attempts. Its smooth surface and ample space made it a perfect location compared to the Daytona Beach.

The Bonneville Salt Flats is an area once covered by a large lake called Lake Bonneville. Lake Bonneville was actually an inland sea containing salt water. Lake Bonneville has not existed since the last ice age. As the climate changed, the salty water in the lake evaporated. As a result of the evaporation, it left behind a salt deposit since water evaporates and salt does not. So instead of driving on the smoother quartzite sand, now drivers and their teams set their records on a more textured salt surface.