22-27 October, 2026
Uyni bolivia october 22nd-27th 2026
Speed Trials Bolivia
.png)
Teaser
News updates
Bolivia video
Scroll
The Salar De Uyuni is
the largest salt flat on earth
100
mi
long
100
mi
wide
30
feet
thick
It’s perched on a mountain; 11,995 feet above sea level. The salt is known as the flattest place on earth. It is so flat NASA uses it to calculate satellite elevation.
Total average rainfall between May and August is .01” (3mm). There is never a cloud in the sky and the wind is mostly calm.
In our opinion iIt’s the best place on earth to set a land speed record. It is absolutely the best place on earth for electric vehicles; the aerodynamic drag is 35% less than sea level.
.jpeg)
The Track
- Will conform to the Fia and Fim record requirements;
- Will be 19 miles long and 110 feet wide;
- The event is open to all automobile and motorcycle entries.
The vehicles must conform to safety requirements and other vehicle requirements of the FIA and FIM standards to compete.
fiA LICENSING
You will need to fill out the following forms to compete
Drivers license
Apply for your driver license and your competitors license to your Home country national sporting authority (NSA). If you are an USA resident apply to USAC for your license here. Send the application to:
Competitors license
You must obtain your driving license during the year the event is taking place.
Registration form
Normally you would submit the following form to the Bolivian NSA. Because the Bolivian NSA is unfamiliar with Speed Record Requirements, please submit the form to:
fiM LICENSING
Follow this link for FIM registration
World Record Application form
Send your World Record entry to the FIM affiliate in the country where you reside.
Event entry and cost
The FIM entry is limited to 5 entries it is run as a World Record Attempt. FIM officials will be on site along with certified timers to certify world records the same as a sanctioned event.
FIM entries are not limited to any number of entries, and we will have officials and certified timing at the event.
Mike Akatiff, Jamie Williams and Jim Knapp are underwriting the event with support from Top 1 Oil and the Ryan Family. The location is the absolute best if you are running an EV or turbocharged vehicle.
Our contact information is on the contact page. Contact any of us if you have questions about the event or costs.
Entry form
Shipping
Ocean containers are shipped to the port of Iquique Chile which is the closest port to the salt flats. Smaller shipments such as motorcycles can be shipped to La Paz (LPB) or Santa Cruz airport (VVI) then transported to the salt flats.
We are working with a logistics company in the port of Iquique that has the experience to ship and transport containers from the US and other nations into Bolivia. They have certified Hazmat trucks and drivers to transport fuel and other Hazmat items. They will be responsible for all logistics from the US or other ports and the return to the originating port. They will also transport the containers to the salt and arrange for unloading and loading at the salt flats.
There is no Carnet required for temporary import. The logistic company will be responsible for preparing temporary import applications and if needed to arrange for custom bonds.
You can arrange your shipping using your own logistics company if you prefer. There are requirements on shipping vehicles to Bolivia. If there is a title to the vehicle the process is simple. If no title exists, then there is other documentation you will need.
You will need a packing list with all the contents in the container, an invoice for the contents and if hazardous material is aboard a Dangerous Goods Declaration.
When importing back into the US you will need an Exemption from the EPA. The following file has sample documentation of previous paperwork accepted when shipping to Bolivia and returning to the US.
IMO dangerous goods declaration
other LOGISTICS COMPANIES
Contact
Juan Pablo Flores Fernandez
Travel Lodging
BOLIVIA ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
The Bolivian government no longer requires US citizens to obtain a visa for a stay of up to 90 days. You will need to show proof of an airline reservation leaving Bolivia within 90 days. You will need to show a reservation for lodging during your stay. The new government is working on building an improved relationship with the US.
Travel to La Paz
There are direct flights from major cities in the us and most European countries to LaPaz and Santa Cruz Bolivia. Economy ranges from $800.00 to $1,000.00 USD round trip. Business $1,800.00 to $3,500.00. Once in LaPaz or Santa Cruz there are shuttle flights to Uyuni. Suttle flights are $130.00 round trip.
Ground transportation
There are no rental cars available in Uyuni. There are rental cars available in LaPaz and Santa Cruz. The distance from these cities is about 300 miles and an 8-hour drive. Our organizer Marcos Soto has a Transportation Company that has been providing vehicles to the movie industry and other organizations for many years. He can arrange for vehicles to be delivered to Uyuni. His contact information is on our contacts page.
Lodging
We have booked the entire 50 rooms at the TONITO Hotel in Uyuni, it is our headquarters hotel. We will be offering some rooms that are available if you are interested in attending the event. The dates we have booked are October 22nd through the 29th. They have single, double and triple rooms. All rooms have private bathrooms and breakfast is included.
It is run by an American and his Bolivian wife. It has the best pizza in Bolivia. All rooms are booked for the entire 10-day stay. Cost for the entire 10 days runs from $400.00 to $600.00 USD. You must bring US dollars and pay in cash for your room when you arrive.
There are many other hotels in Uyuni with Rates from $30.00 per night to $100.00 per night. There is a 5-star hotel at the entrance to the salt flats which runs $350.00 to $400.00 per night.
ABOUT BOLIVIA
Bolivia is the poorest country in South America. The Salar De Uyuni is in a remote area. The town of Colchhani is the gateway to the Salt Flats. It is a very poor town of 600 people. The economy is built around harvesting salt. There is a section of town in which locally made goods and souvenirs are sold. They do not accept credit cards but will accept US dollars or Boliviano (BOB) .* We have found the people in this region of Bolivia to be very friendly and have never felt unsafe in any of the surrounding areas.
The town of Uyuni is approximately 30 miles from Colchani and is much larger with a population of 30,000. There are a variety of restaurants and shops. Most of these shops and restaurants accept credit cards. There is much lodging available in town.
About the Altitude
On our two previous events in Bolivia about 60 people attended each event. All I believe, flew from sea level directly to Uyuni. Of the 60 people, some as old as 82, only a couple had issues with the altitude. One of the youngest was affected with a headache, tiredness and some dizziness when arriving but became acclimated within a couple of days. We have oxygen available if needed but have never used it. If you are concerned about it there is a prescription medication acetazolamide that you start taking a couple days before you go. Your doctor can prescribe it.
* The US dollar is readily accepted in Bolivia rural areas however make sure to get fresh bills from your bank even a small nick or torn corner and they might not be accepted. Bring more cash than you think you will need. Not many ATMs in Bolivia. Smaller bills are more useful as many small shops and gas stations won’t be able to make change for large bills. Don’t accept torn, repaired, or tatty boliviano notes as change as they may not be accepted although still legal tender. The currency limit to bring into or exit the country without declaration is $10,000.00 US.
Contact us
Want to get updates on records broken at Bolivia speed trials?
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
All Documents
Fia Licensing
Event entry
NEWS APRIL 2026
The elections are over and after 19 years of socialist government a more capitalist-leaning government replaced theprevious administration. They are moving away from China, Cuba and other socialist governments. The government isworking on fostering better relations with the US. This is great news for our event. Already they have eliminated the fuelimport restrictions that kept us from returning to Bolivia in 2023. Now anyone can import fuel into Bolivia.
Marcos ourevent organizer in Bolivia will be working with top officials in the new government to make this a professional event. JimKnapp is joining Jamie Williams and myself to underwrite the event along with support from Top 1 Oil and the Ryanfamily to make sure all the resources needed are available. We hope to make this event a model event for others thatmight want to follow.
We will be working with Reg Cooks team www.cmrchallenges.co.nz. They ran a private event inOctober of last year. Their event is 2 weeks before ours. It is a FIA event. They will grade and mark a 19- mile track andwe will split the cost with them.
Our headquarters hotel is the TONITO hotel www.tonitouyuni.com we havebooked all the rooms from October 19th to the 29th. See the travel section for more information.
AUGUST 2025 UPDATE
We had hoped to return to Bolivia in 2025. Unfortunately, the current political and economic situation in Bolivia is highlyunstable. There are widespread demonstrations and roadblocks, lack of fuel, shortages of food, an assassination attempt,a military coup attempt and economic instability. Our organizer in Bolivia Marcos Soto has moved his family to Argentinauntil the end of the year. Their elections are in August after which we hope things will settle down. Jamie Williams and Iare fully committed to organizing an event in 2026. Marcos is going to explore Salinas Grandis in Argentina after the saltdries. The salt and climate there are the same as Uyuni however it is questionable if we could get a 15-mile course there.
The previous three events I organized in many ways were disappointing. We were working with an organizer who was inept, disorganized and dishonest. Marcos has worked with the movie industry providing transportation and logistics for the last 15 years. We have learned much from our previous events and plan to have a highly professional, well-organized event this time.