The longest driveway in North America was once used for illicit speed tests, but is now a rotting public road in the Mojave

The longest driveway in North America once played host to illicit speed tests but is now nothing more than a rotting public road in the Mojave Desert.

Bonnie Orcutt was the owner of a driveway long enough that people could drive 200mph down it.

The story of how a 4.1 mile long driveway became a speed zone is a tale that spanned years.

But it wouldn’t be until a car magazine discovered the road in the 1980s that it would be made famous.

EXPLORE SBX CARS – Supercar auctions starting soon powered by Supercar Blondie

How the story of North America’s longest driveway began

In the United States of America, car culture is woven into the fabric of the nation.

Whether it be humongous car graveyards, or gigantic car museums, you’d be hard pressed to go anywhere in the States without seeing some seriously cool automobiles.

But it goes beyond fancy vehicles – there’s bits of history tied into each state.

For some states, they have proud histories as strongholds of the automotive industries.

But for others, the histories are a little more niche.

That brings us to Bonnie Orcutt, who was born in Boone County, Indiana on September 7th 1909.

After her husband passed away in 1953, she moved out west and settled on a plot of land in Newberry Springs, California.

When the Interstate highway system started planning to build Interstate 40 across her driveway, she set about thwarting the project.

Despite government efforts to buy her cooperation, she spearheaded a letter writing campaign to a number of high power figures.

According to the Mojave Desert Heritage and Cultural Association, such figures included President Lyndon Johnson, his wife Lady Bird Johnson, and California Governor Edmund brown.

In 1965, a compromise was reached – the California Division of Highways would allocate $100,000 to build Orcutt a four mile driveway to her nearest road – Fort Cady Road.

So if you’re keeping score, we would tally that up as one point for Orcutt and nil for the government.

But that’s not the end of the story.

How this remarkable Mojave Desert landmark was discovered years later

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Orcutt’s road was discovered by journalists working at Car And Driver.

They were wanting a place to test cars on speed runs.

Race tracks were often too short for this type of thing, and public highways were too unsafe.

So the longest driveway out in the Mojave Desert seemed to be just what the mechanic ordered.

Some of the car hijinks that occurred out there were wild to say the least, with stories of oil spills and 50 foot fireballs.

It was intense.

And just like that, one woman’s fight against the government became a piece of automotive history.

Orcutt passed away in 1986, and the property has unfortunately fallen into disrepair in the years since.

The longest driveway itself became too pothole-ridden to be used as a race track, so its days of speed are long behind it.

DISCOVER SBX CARS: The global premium car auction platform powered by Supercar Blondie