land speed record

Ralph DePalma in his Packard '905' Special at Daytona Beach in 1919, courtesy Florida Photographic Collection

The land speed record is the fastest speed achieved by any wheeled vehicle on land, as opposed to one on water or in the air or on rails. It is standardized as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs in opposite directions. The current absolute (or unlimited) record holder is ThrustSSC, a twin turbofan jet-powered car which has achieved 763 mph (slightly under 1228 km/h) over one mile, breaking the sound barrier. There are also records for specific classes of vehicle, such as motorcycles (350.884 mph, currently held by Chris Carr), and steam-driven vehicles (Fred Marriott, 127.659 mph), but this list only includes the absolute speed records for wheeled vehicles on ground, without rails. Early records predate standardisation and are sometimes controversial.

Driving the Thrust Super Sonic Car, Andy Green of Great Britain holds the land speed record for a motor powered vehicle at 1,228kph/763.055mph. It was set in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, USA, on 15 October 1997. The word 'motor' in a conventional sense does not really apply since the monster vehicle was powered by two Rolls Royce jet engines, producing a combined total of 100,000lbs of thrust force. During its record-breaking run, Thrust SSC accelerated to 965.6kph/600mph in just 16 seconds. It smashed the record in style by becoming the first car to break the sound barrier.

1898 to 1947

Date	Location	Driver	Vehicle	Power	Speed over 1 km		Speed over 1 mile		Comments
					mph	km/h	mph	km/h
December 18, 1898	Achères, Yvelines, France	Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat	Jeantaud Duc	Electric	39.24	63.15
January 17, 1899	Achères, France	Brandon Kesler	CGA Dogcart	Electric	41.42	66.66
January 17, 1899	Achères, France	Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat	Jeantaud Duc	Electric	43.69	70.31
January 27, 1899	Achères, France	Camille Jenatzy	CGA Dogcart	Electric	49.93	80.35
March 4, 1899	Achères, France	Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat	Jeantaud Duc Profilée	Electric	57.65	92.78
April 29, 1899	Achères, France	Camille Jenatzy	CITA No 25, La Jamais Contente	Electric	65.79	105.88	—		First record over 100 km/h
April 13, 1902	Nice, France Promenade des Anglais	Leon Serpollet	Gardner-Serpollet Oeuf de Pâques (Easter Egg)	Steam	75.06	120.80
November 5, 1902	Ablis, France	William K. Vanderbilt[1]	Mors Z Paris-Vienne	IC	76.08	122.44
November 5, 1902	Dourdan, France	Henri Fournier	Mors Z Paris-Vienne	IC	76.60	123.28
November 17, 1902	Dourdan, France	M. Augières	Mors Z Paris-Vienne	IC	77.13	124.13
July 17, 1903	Ostend, Belgium	Arthur Duray	Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid	IC	83.46	134.32
November 5, 1903	Dourdan, France	Arthur Duray	Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid	IC	84.73	136.36
January 12, 1904	Lake St. Clair, USA	Henry Ford	Ford Arrow	IC	—		91.37	147.05	On frozen lake
March 31, 1904	Nice, France	Arthur Duray	Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid	IC	88.76	142.85
March 31, 1904	Nice, France	Louis Rigolly	Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid	IC	94.78	152.53
May 25, 1904	Ostend, Belgium	Pierre de Caters	DMG Mercedes Simplex 90	IC	97.25	156.50
July 21, 1904	Ostend, Belgium	Louis Rigolly	Gobron Brillié Gordon Bennett Cup	IC	103.56	166.66			first over 100mph
November 13, 1904	Ostend, Belgium	Paul Baras	Darracq Gordon Bennett	IC	104.53	168.22
January 24, 1905	Daytona Beach, USA	Arthur MacDonald	Napier 6	IC	104.65	168.42
December 30, 1905	Arles, France	Victor Hémery	Darracq V8 Special	IC	109.65	175.44
January 26, 1906	Ormond Beach, USA	Fred Marriott	Stanley Rocket Racer	Steam	127.66	205.44			first over 200kph
January 24, 1907	Ormond Beach, Florida	Glenn Curtiss	Curtiss V8 40 hp (30 kW) motorcycle	IC	—		136.27	219.31	Motorcycle record stood for about 30 years
November 6, 1909	Brooklands, United Kingdom	Victor Hémery	200 hp (150 kW) Benz No 1	IC	125.94	202.68	115.93	186.57
June 24, 1914	Brooklands, United Kingdom	L. G. Hornstead	200 hp (150 kW) Benz No 3	IC	—		124.09	199.70	First 2-way record
February 12, 1919	Daytona Beach, USA	Ralph DePalma	Packard 905	IC	149.875	241.200	—		Recognized in the USA, not recognized by AIACR
May 17, 1922	Brooklands, United Kingdom	Kenelm Lee Guinness	350 hp (260 kW) Sunbeam	IC	133.70	215.17	129.17	207.88	Last record set on a closed course
July 6, 1924	Arpajon, France	René Thomas	Delage La Torpille	IC	143.21	230.47	143.31	230.64
July 12, 1924	Arpajon, France	Ernest A. D. Eldridge	FIAT Special Mephistopeles II	IC	146.01	234.98	145.89	234.79	Last record set on a public road
September 25, 1924	Pendine Sands, Wales	Malcolm Campbell	350 hp (260 kW) Sunbeam Blue Bird	IC	146.15	235.21	146.16	235.22
July 21, 1925	Pendine Sands, Wales	Malcolm Campbell	350 hp (260 kW) Sunbeam Blue Bird	IC	150.86	242.79	150.76	242.62
March 21, 1926	Southport, United Kingdom	Henry Segrave	4 Litre Sunbeam Ladybird	IC	152.30	245.10	149.32	240.31
March 2, 1927	Pendine Sands, Wales	J.G. Parry-Thomas	Higham-Thomas Special Babs	IC	169.29	272.45	168.07	270.48
March 3, 1927	Pendine Sands, Wales	J.G. Parry-Thomas	Babs	IC	171.01	273.60	170.62	274.59	Killed at end of run
February 4, 1927	Pendine Sands, Wales	Malcolm Campbell	Campbell-Napier Blue Bird	IC	174.88	281.44	174.22	280.38	Last record set in Europe
March 29, 1927	Daytona Beach, USA	Henry Segrave	1000 hp (750 kW) Sunbeam 1000 hp Slug	IC	202.98	326.66	203.79	327.97
February 19, 1928	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Campbell-Napier Blue Bird	IC	—		206.95	333.05
April 22, 1928	Daytona Beach, USA	Ray Keech	White Triplex Spirit of Elkdom	IC	—		207.55	334.02
March 11, 1929	Daytona Beach, USA	Henry Segrave	Irving-Napier Golden Arrow	IC	231.56	372.66	231.36	372.34	Golden Arrow never ran again
February 5, 1931	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Campbell Napier Railton Blue Bird	IC	246.08	396.03	245.73	395.46
February 24, 1932	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Campbell Napier Railton Blue Bird	IC	251.34	404.49	253.96	408.71
February 22, 1933	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Campbell Rolls-Royce Railton Blue Bird	IC	272.46	438.48	272.10	437.90
March 7, 1935	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Campbell Rolls-Royce Railton Blue Bird	IC	276.16	444.44	276.71	445.32	Last record set on a beach
September 3, 1935	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Campbell Rolls-Royce Railton Blue Bird	IC	—		301.129	484.620
November 19, 1937	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	George E. T. Eyston	Thunderbolt	IC	312.00	502.11	311.41	501.17
August 27, 1938	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	George E. T. Eyston	Thunderbolt	IC	345.20	555.55	345.48	556.00
September 15, 1938	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	John Cobb	Railton Special	IC	350.06	563.37	350.19	563.58
September 16, 1938	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	George E. T. Eyston	Thunderbolt	IC	357.33	575.07	357.49	575.32
August 23, 1939	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	John Cobb	Railton Special	IC	369.74	595.04	367.91	592.09
September 16, 1947	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	John Cobb	Railton Mobil Special	IC	393.82	633.79	394.19	634.39	First one-way over 400 mph (640kph)

1963 to 1970

Date	Location	Driver	Vehicle	Power	Speed over 1 km		Speed over 1 mile		Comments
					mph	km/h	mph	km/h
September 5, 1963	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America	Turbojet	408.312	657.114	407.447	655.722	Ratified by FIM as vehicle has 3 wheels
July 17, 1964	Lake Eyre, Australia	Donald Campbell	Bluebird CN7	turboprop	—		403.10	644.96
October 5, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Tom Green	Wingfoot Express	Turbojet	415.093	668.027	413.199	664.979
October 7, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Art Arfons	The Green Monster	Turbojet	434.356	699.028	434.022	698.490
October 13, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America	Turbojet	—		468.719	754.330
October 15, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America	Turbojet	—		526.277	846.861
October 27, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Art Arfons	The Green Monster	Turbojet	544.134	875.699	536.710	863.791
November 2, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America - Sonic 1	Turbojet	555.485	893.966	555.485	893.966
November 7, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Art Arfons	The Green Monster	Turbojet	572.546	921.423	576.553	927.872
November 13, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Bob Summers	Goldenrod	IC	—		409.277	658.526	Last record using a piston engine
November 15, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America - Sonic 1	Turbojet	600.842	966.961	600.601	966.574
October 23, 1970	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Gary Gabelich	Blue Flame	Rocket	630.389	1014.52	622.407	1001.67	First record over 1000 km/h; record stood for 13 years

1983 to 2007

Date	Location	Driver	Vehicle	Power	Speed over 1 km		Speed over 1 mile		Comments
					mph	km/h	mph	km/h
October 4, 1983	Black Rock Desert, USA	Richard Noble	Thrust2	Turbojet	—		633.468	1019.47	Record stood for 13 years
September 25, 1997	Black Rock Desert, USA	Andy Green	ThrustSSC	Turbofan	760.343	1223.65	763.035	1227.99	First supersonic record (Mach 1.016)

See also

• British Land Speed Record
• Fastest production car
• Land speed record for railed vehicles
• Motorcycle land speed record
• Pioneer 2M - Soviet Union attempt at the land speed record in early 1960s
• Budweiser Rocket - Made a disputed 746 mph run in 1979
• North American Eagle - Project aimed at breaking current record

External links

• Chris Carr
• A graph of these successive records.
• www.peterrenn.clara.net
• Autoracing speed records
• Landspeed record history
• Index to comprehensive site of land air and water speed record projects from 1901 to 2005
• Henry Segrave's Sunbeam, Quicktime Virtual Reality image
• Speed Record Models

References

Citations

1. ^ [1]

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