Top Speeds On the Salt – John Ens and Nick Taylor Take a Pair of Camaros to Bonneville Speedweek on a Quest for 200-Plus MPH Runs!
Since 1949, the Bonneville Salt Flats in Northwestern Utah has hosted the Speedweek event, a gathering of hundreds of enthusiasts to see who can navigate the salt to set class records, and possibly join multiple MPH clubs, including the 200 MPH club.
To go into Bonneville with hopes of achieving a record, and possibly joining the 200 mph club, requires preparation and a solid ride. One of those rides is the Keith and Tonya Turk-owned 1980 Chevrolet Camaro, and they were joined by a host of familiar drag and drive names, as well as a second Camaro, for a week on the salt and pursuit of a class record.
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This marks the second year the Turk’s Camaro has visited Bonneville under the Sick The Magazine colors, as in 2025, Tom Bailey of Sick The Magazine, and David Schroeder of Schroeder-Ens Racing, decided to team up for a double shot at class records.
For coverage of the 2025 event, please CLICK HERE for our background on the Camaro and initial prep work, CLICK HERE for Part Two of Bonneville Speedweek and record attempts, and please CLICK HERE for the Third and Final Part of Bonneville Speedweek and record attempts.
After watching Schroeder grab a record at Bonneville last year, as well as a 200 MPH hat, racing partner John Ens, who built the engines for Bailey and Schroeder for Bonneville, was given a shot in the seat this year. Constructing a 302 cubic inch small block Chevrolet engine with a Vortech supercharger, Ens would take aim on the D/CBGC (Classic Blown Gas Coupe) class record of 217.170 mph.
Fellow drag and drive participant Alex Taylor has also competed in the Turk’s Camaro, and her record-setting experience had an effect on husband Nick Taylor. After acquiring a third-generation Camaro from Shawn Fetter about two years ago, Nick and his crew worked towards getting it ready for Bonneville this year.
A turbocharged LS combination from Tin Soldiers Racecars was given space under the hood, and Nick would look to challenge the 264 mph record in the C/BFALT (Blown Fuel Altered) class.
To go after their goals of 200-plus mph, as well as a class record, both John and Nick needed to earn specific licenses first. That requires a number of steps, with the first being a rookie run, as well as a ‘Class D’ license (125-149 mph).
The second license, ‘Class C’, was accomplished for 150-174 mph, the third license pass gets the 175-199 mph accomplished for ‘Class B,’ and finally the ‘Class A’ license for 200-249 mph.
After securing his D, C and B licenses, Nick and his Camaro got some unexpected results on his next run going for his Class A license. “It was crazy awesome and super scary all in the same,” Nick said. “We made back-to-back passes licensing up every pass and the car was running and driving awesome. Once we got to the long course and got over 200 mph, we learned a lot about aerodynamics quick fast and in a hurry.”
The Camaro got loose as Nick saw 200 mph at mile marker 2, but thankfully Nick was on the parachute quickly, and got the car stopped. The spinning tagged the front splitter, and the back glass popped out, requiring the car to go through inspection again before his next run.
After making some changes to the aero, changing the gear in the rear end, fixing the windows, and moving some weight around, Nick sailed through inspection, and then secured his Class A license.
Nick then loaded up for his ‘AA Class’ license (250-299 mph), but after a 241 mph average run was complete, the team arrived to pick him up, and discover the third-generation Camaro had holes in the block, effectively ending their Speedweek.
For Ens and the Turks, after securing his license, Ens made multiple runs but was unable to exceed the 217.170 mph record. Shredded blower belts, an air line to the air ride system melting, and coming up just short of the mark made the team consider some changes.
Tuesday, August 4th, 2026, they succeeded with a 217.899 mph blast, putting them in impound. Once a vehicle has exceeded the current record, it enters impound where the driver and crew have four hours to work on the car before it is secured for the remainder of the day.
To be able to set a record at Bonneville requires two runs, and the second run, sometimes known as the ‘record return run’, is afforded to competitors the next morning. “The average of two runs has to be greater than the record to qualify (to set a new record),” said Keith Turk.
That run Wednesday morning netted only a 201 mph blast, putting the team back to square one to find a fix for the missing power. They found their happy place Wednesday afternoon, clocking a 220.463 mph run, and once again they returned to impound.
This morning, Thursday, August 6th, 2026, the Turk’s Camaro returned to the course with a chance to secure the record. An improved 222.600 mph run was the result, and once the car was checked and certified, it was made official, giving Ens and the Turks the D/CBGC (Classic Blown Gas Coupe) class record, and qualifying Ens for a 200 mph club red hat!
“It is official,” said Tonya Turk of the record. “Many thanks to our team of: Cecil Eger, Dave Schroeder, Jason Sack, David Williams, Robert Williams, Dave Sawin, Matt Hunt, Julie Starr and support from so many others. Thanks to our sponsors: Sick the Magazine, Vortech Superchargers, AFR, Scat, Race Tech Pistons, Isky Cams, Summit Racing Equipment, Ken's Kustom Auto, Crower, and Holley.”
Written by Derek Putnam. Photos courtesy of Sick the Magazine, Jason Sack, Keith and Tonya Turk, and Robert Williams.
If you have thoughts / feedback / ideas, please e-mail us at derek@sickthemagazine.com