intended it to be, perhaps now more than ever. Now, those who knew him are trying to complete the challenge that Cash Jr. He left family and friends behind and at least one great challenge unconquered - a project he referred to as his eighth summit. didn’t make it back from conquering his seventh peak - Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world - in 2019, collapsing on his way down after summiting.

He had this feeling if you are going to do epic stuff, bring people with you.” He was just a real stickler on intentional living, he called it. “My son Don had strong feelings that you need to have a bucket list,” he said. Setting and meeting lofty goals was part of his personal philosophy, his father, Don Cash Sr., said - his belief about the way that life should be lived. was one of only a handful of people who have successfully climbed the “Seven Summits” of the world - the tallest mountain on each continent.

Or, perhaps more accurately, some of its tallest.Ĭash Jr. enjoyed taking on some of the world’s greatest challenges. After four long days and a glimpse under the hood, I realized this tribe of wrench twisters and daring drivers, alone in the desert, are simply an extension of the thrill seekers I call my own - out on the fringe, welcoming and friendly, likely with a beer in hand, and a smile from cheek to cheek.OREM - During his life, Don Cash Jr. It’s a setting described by Monte Widdison, vice president of Utah Salt Flats Racing Association, as “the last bastion of high-end amateur racing in the world.” As a photographer associated with foot traffic and highballs, I had no idea what to expect from the land of speed freaks and oversized engines. If you’re willing to build it, and work through the speed categories, you’re welcome to run it.

At the World of Speed, in early September, the starting line is home to jet-influenced “streamliners,” old school muscle cars, shrouded motorcycles, scooters and everything in between. Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats are home to three annual speed events where racers can go all in - on or in - whatever speed device meets their fancy. It’s a space often heard of but seldom visited, a space where fortune is invested, dreams made and friendships forged - all in the name of speed. There’s a salt flat on the playa with long blue lines and a track that runs through it.

Bonneville salt flats cars