Land speed record

The land speed record (or absolute land speed record) is the highest speed achieved by a person using a vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; in practice the Category C ("Special Vehicles") flying start regulations are used, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA).[1] The land speed record (LSR) is standardized as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs (commonly called "passes").[2] Two runs are required in opposite directions within one hour, and a new record mark must exceed the previous one by at least one percent to be validated.[3]

For the album by the band Hüsker Dü, see Land Speed Record (album). For the sport of setting land speed records, see Land speed racing. For records by rail vehicles, see Land speed record for rail vehicles.

ThrustSSC, driven by Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green, holds the current land speed record at 760 mph set October 15, 1997.

History

Further information: Railway speed record

The first regulators were the Automobile Club de France, who proclaimed themselves arbiters of the record in about 1902.[4]

Ralph DePalma in his Packard '905' Special at Daytona Beach in 1919

Until 1903, trains held the land speed record for fastest vehicles in which people could travel.

Different clubs had different standards and did not always recognize the same world records[5] until 1924, when the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) introduced new regulations: two passes in opposite directions (to negate the effects of wind) averaged with a maximum of 30 minutes (later more) between runs, average gradient of the racing surface not more than 1 percent, timing gear accurate within 0.01sec, and cars must be wheel-driven.[6] National or regional auto clubs (such as AAA and SCTA) had to be AIACR members to ensure records would be recognized.[7] The AIACR became the FIA in 1947. Controversy arose in 1963: Spirit of America was not recognized due to its being a three-wheeler (leading the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme to certify it as a three-wheel motorcycle record when the FIA refused) and not wheel-driven so the FIA introduced a special wheel-driven class.[8] No holder of the absolute record since has been wheel-driven.

In the U.S. & Australia, record runs are often done on salt flats, so the cars are often called salt cars.

Women's land speed record

Dorothy Levitt, in a 26hp Napier, at Brooklands, England, in 1908

In 1906 Dorothy Levitt broke the women's world speed record for the flying kilometer, recording a speed of 91 mph (146.25 km/h) and receiving the sobriquet the "Fastest Girl on Earth". She drove a six-cylinder Napier motorcar, a 100 hp (74.6 kW) development of the K5, in a speed trial in Blackpool.[9][10][11]

While record keeping has not been as extensive, a report in 1974 confirmed that a subsequent record was held by Lee Breedlove, the wife of then overall record holder Craig Breedlove, who piloted her husband's Spirit of America - Sonic 1 to a record 308.506 mph (496.492 km/h) in 1965.[12] According to author Rachel Kushner, Craig Breedlove had talked Lee into taking the car out for a record attempt in order to monopolize the salt flats for the day and block one of his competitors from making a record attempt.[13]

In 1976, the women's absolute record was set by Kitty O'Neil, in the jet-powered, three-wheeled SMI Motivator, at the Alvord Desert.[14] Held back by her contract with a sponsor and using only 60 percent of her car's power, O'Neil reached 512.710 mph (825.127 km/h).[15][16]

On October 9, 2013, driver Jessi Combs, in a vehicle of the North American Eagle Project running at the Alvord Desert, raised the women's four-wheel land speed class record with an official run of 398.954 mph (632 km/h), surpassing Breedlove's 48-year-old record.[17] Combs continued with the North American Eagle Project, whose ongoing target is the overall land speed record; as part of that effort, Combs was killed, on August 27, 2019, during an attempt to raise the four-wheel record.[18] In late June 2020, the Guinness Book of Records reclassified the 27 August 2019 speed runs as meeting its requirements, and Combs was credited with the record at 841.338 km/h (522.783 mph), noting she was the first to break the record in 40 years.[19]

Records

1898–1964 (wheel-driven)

See also: Land speed racing § Records by class

Date	Location	Driver	Vehicle	Power	Speed over 1 km		Speed over 1 mile		Comments
					mph	km/h	mph	km/h
December 18, 1898	Achères, France	Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat	Jeantaud Duc[20]	Electric	39.24	63.15			[21]
January 17, 1899	Achères, France	Camille Jenatzy[20]	GCA Dogcart	Electric	41.42	66.66			[21]
January 17, 1899	Achères, France	Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat	Jeantaud Duc	Electric	43.93	70.31			[21]
January 27, 1899	Achères, France	Camille Jenatzy	GCA Dogcart	Electric	49.93	80.35			[21]
March 4, 1899	Achères, France	Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat	Jeantaud Duc Profilée	Electric	57.65	92.78			[21]
April 29, 1899	Achères, France	Camille Jenatzy	CITA No 25 La Jamais Contente	Electric	65.79	105.88			First purpose designed land speed racer.[22] First record over 100 km/h (62 mph)[21]
April 13, 1902	Nice, France	Léon Serpollet	Gardner-Serpollet Œuf de Pâques (Easter Egg)	Steam[4]	75.06	120.80
August 5, 1902	Ablis, France	William K. Vanderbilt	Mors Z Paris-Vienne	Internal combustion	76.03	122.438			First internal combustion powered record[4]
November 5, 1902	Dourdan, France	Henri Fournier	Mors Z Paris-Vienne	Internal combustion 4-cylinder, 9.2 litre, 60 bhp	76.59	123.25			[23]
November 17, 1902	Dourdan, France	Maurice Augières	Mors Z Paris-Vienne	Internal combustion	77.13	124.13			[21]
July 17, 1903	Ostend, Belgium	Arthur Duray	Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid	Internal combustion	83.46	132.32			First time Railway speed record exceeded [21]
Nov 5, 1903	Dourdan, France	Arthur Duray	Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid	Internal combustion	84.73	136.35			[23]
January 12, 1904	New Baltimore, United States	Henry Ford	Ford 999 Racer	Internal combustion	84.73	136.35	91.37	147.05	[24]
March 31, 1904	Nice, France	Louis Rigolly	Gobron-Brillié Paris-Madrid	Internal combustion	94.78	152.53			[21]
May 25, 1904	Ostend, Belgium	Pierre de Caters	Mercedes Simplex 90	Internal combustion	97.25	156.50			[21]
July 21, 1904[23]	Ostend, Belgium	Louis Rigolly	Gobron-Brillié Gordon Bennett	Internal combustion	103.56	166.66			First record over 100 mph (161 km/h)[21] , 2 months after City of Truro's.
November 13, 1904	Ostend, Belgium	Paul Baras	Darracq Gordon Bennett	Internal combustion	104.53	168.22			[21]
December 30, 1905	Arles, France	Victor Hémery	Darracq Special	Internal combustion	109.59	176.37			[21]
January 26, 1906	Daytona Beach, United States	Fred Marriott	Stanley Rocket[6]	Steam	127.66	205.44			First record over 200 km/h (124 mph). First speed greater than contemporary rail speed record. Held record for steam-powered vehicles until 2009.[25]
November 8, 1909[26]	Brooklands, United Kingdom	Victor Hémery	Benz No 1 200 hp (150 kW)	Internal combustion: 21.5 L (1,310 cu in) inline-4 Benz engine	125.94	202.68	115.93	186.57	First run using electronic timing[6]
June 24, 1914	Brooklands, United Kingdom	Lydston Hornsted	Benz No 3 200 hp (150 kW)	Internal combustion: 21.5 L (1,310 cu in) inline-4 Benz engine	—		124.09	199.70	First 2-way record, set at Brooklands under new Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) 2-way rule[6]
May 17, 1922	Brooklands, United Kingdom	Kenelm Lee Guinness	Sunbeam 350 hp	V12, single o.h.c, 18.3 litre, 350 b.h.p. engine	133.75	215.25			The third and last time the record was set at Brooklands[23]
July 6, 1924	Arpajon, France	René Thomas	Délage	Internal combustion, V12, ohv, 10.6 litre, 280 bhp engine			143.31	230.634	[23]
July 12, 1924	Arpajon, France	Ernest Eldridge	FIAT Mephistopheles	Internal combustion: 21.7 L (1,320 cu in) inline-6 FIAT A.12 aero engine	—		145.89	234.98	Fastest land speed record ever on a public road[6]
September 25, 1924	Pendine, United Kingdom	Malcolm Campbell	Sunbeam 350HP	Internal combustion: 18.3 L (1,120 cu in) V12 Sunbeam aero engine	—		146.16	235.22	First land speed record by Malcolm Campbell[27]
July 21, 1925	Pendine, United Kingdom	Malcolm Campbell	Sunbeam 350HP	Internal combustion: 18.3 L (1,120 cu in) V12 Sunbeam aero engine	—		150.87	242.8	First person to travel over 150 mph (241 km/h)[27]
March 16, 1926	Ainsdale beach at Southport, United Kingdom	Henry Segrave	Ladybird	Internal combustion: a 4-litre Sunbeam Tiger			152.33	245.15
April 28, 1926	Pendine, United Kingdom	Parry Thomas	Babs	Internal combustion: 27 L (1,600 cu in) V12 Liberty L-12 aero engine	—		170	273.6
February 4, 1927	Pendine, United Kingdom	Malcolm Campbell	Napier-Campbell Blue Bird	Internal combustion: 22.3 L (1,360 cu in) W12 Napier Lion aero engine	—		174.88	281.44	[27]
March 29, 1927	Daytona Beach, United States	Henry Segrave	Mystery (aka "Sunbeam 1000 hp")	Internal combustion: 2 x 22.4 L (1,370 cu in) V12 Sunbeam Matabele aero engines	203.79	327.97			The first car to reach a speed over 200 mph (320 km/h)[28]
February 19, 1928	Daytona Beach, United States	Malcolm Campbell	Napier-Campbell Blue Bird	Internal combustion: 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion aero engine	206.956	333.048			[7]
April 22, 1928	Daytona Beach, United States	Ray Keech	Triplex Special	Internal combustion: 3 x 27 L (1,600 cu in) V12 Liberty L-12 aero engines	207.552	334.007			[29]
March 11, 1929	Daytona Beach, United States	Henry Segrave	Golden Arrow	Internal combustion: 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion aero engine	231.446	372.459			Segrave was knighted for this effort.[30]
February 5, 1931	Daytona Beach, United States[23]	Malcolm Campbell	Campbell-Napier-Railton Blue Bird	Internal combustion: 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engine	246.09	396.025			Campbell was knighted for this effort.[30]
February 24, 1932	Daytona Beach, United States	Malcolm Campbell	Campbell-Napier-Railton Blue Bird	Internal combustion: 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engine	253.97	408.73			First 250 mph (400 km/h) pass.[27]
February 22, 1933	Daytona Beach, United States	Malcolm Campbell	Campbell-Railton Blue Bird	Internal combustion: 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engine	272.46	438.48			[27]
March 7, 1935	Daytona Beach, United States	Malcolm Campbell	Campbell-Railton Blue Bird	Internal combustion: 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engine	276.816	445.472			[30]
September 3, 1935	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	Malcolm Campbell	Campbell-Railton Blue Bird	Internal combustion: 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engine	301.129	484.598			First 300 mph (480 km/h) pass, first absolute record set at Bonneville[30]
November 19, 1937	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	George Eyston	Thunderbolt	Internal combustion: 2 x 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engines	311.42	501.16			[30]
August 27, 1938	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	George Eyston	Thunderbolt	Internal combustion: 2 x 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engines	345.49[30]	556.012
September 15, 1938	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	John Cobb	Railton	Internal combustion: 2 x 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engines	350.2	563.566			[30]
September 16, 1938	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	George Eyston	Thunderbolt	Internal combustion: 2 x 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engines	357.5	575.314			[30]
August 23, 1939	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	John Cobb	Railton Special	Internal combustion: 2 x 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engines	369.74[30]	595.04	367.91	592.091
September 16, 1947	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	John Cobb	Railton Mobil Special	Internal combustion: 2 x 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engines	394.196[6]	634.397	394.19	634.39	First single pass at over 400 mph (402 mph)
July 17, 1964	Lake Eyre, Australia	Donald Campbell	Bluebird CN7	Turboshaft: 1 x 4,000 hp (3,000 kW) Bristol Proteus gas turbine			403.10[31][32]	648.73	Last wheel-driven absolute record that was superseded by the ratification of Spirit of America (see below)

1963–present (jet and rocket propulsion)

Craig Breedlove's mark of 407.447 miles per hour (655.722 km/h),[8][33] set in Spirit of America in September 1963, was initially considered unofficial. The vehicle breached the FIA regulations on two grounds: it had only three wheels, and it was not wheel-driven, since its jet engine did not supply power to its axles. Some time later, the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme created a non-wheel-driven category, and ratified Spirit of America's time for this mark.[8] On July 17, 1964, Donald Campbell's Bluebird CN7 posted a speed of 403.10 miles per hour (648.73 km/h) on Lake Eyre, Australia. This became the official FIA LSR, although Campbell was disappointed not to have beaten Breedlove's time.[34] In October, several four-wheel jet-cars surpassed the 1963 mark, but were eligible for neither FIA nor FIM ratification.[34] The confusion of having three different LSRs lasted until December 11, 1964, when the FIA and FIM met in Paris and agreed to recognize as an absolute LSR the higher speed recorded by either body, by any vehicles running on wheels, whether wheel-driven or not.[35]

Date	Location	Driver	Vehicle	Power	Speed over 1 km		Speed over 1 mile		Comments
					mph	km/h	mph	km/h
August 5, 1963	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America	Turbojet			407.447	655.722	[8][33] Initially considered unofficial since the vehicle had 3 wheels. Later ratified by FIM.
October 2, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	Tom Green	Wingfoot Express	Turbojet			413.2	665.0	[8]
October 5, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	Art Arfons	Green Monster	Turbojet			434.03	698.50	[8]
October 13, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America	Turbojet			468.719	754.330	[21]
October 15, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America	Turbojet			526.277	846.961	[21]
October 27, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	Art Arfons	Green Monster	Turbojet			536.710	863.751	[21]
November 2, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America - Sonic 1	Turbojet	555.485	893.966	555.485	893.966	[36]
November 7, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	Art Arfons	Green Monster	Turbojet	576.553	927.872	576.553	927.872	[21]
November 15, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America - Sonic 1	Turbojet	594	955.950	600.601	966.574	[37]
October 23, 1970	Bonneville Salt Flats, United States	Gary Gabelich	Blue Flame	Rocket	630.478	1014.656	622.407	1001.667	[38]
October 4, 1983	Black Rock Desert, United States	Richard Noble	Thrust2	Turbojet: 1 x Rolls-Royce Avon	634.051	1020.406	633.47	1019.47	[38]
September 25, 1997	Black Rock Desert, United States	Andy Green	ThrustSSC	Turbofan: 2 x Rolls-Royce Spey	713.990	1149.055	714.144	1149.303	[38]
October 15, 1997	Black Rock Desert, United States	Andy Green	ThrustSSC	Turbofan: 2 x Rolls-Royce Spey	760.343	1223.657	763.035	1227.986[39]	First to break the speed of sound

See also

• List of vehicle speed records
• British land speed record
• Production car speed record
• Land speed record for rail vehicles
• Motorcycle land speed record
• Aero-engined car
• Pioneer 2M – Soviet Union attempt at the land speed record in early 1960s
• Budweiser Rocket – Claimed but not verified to have reached 739.666 miles per hour (1,190.377 km/h) and to have broken the sound barrier in 1979
• North American Eagle Project – Aiming for 808 mph (1,300 km/h) to break current record.
• Bloodhound SSC – Project aiming for 1,050 mph (1,690 km/h).
• Rosco McGlashan – Australia's fastest man on the land. His Aussie Invader team is building a fully rocket-powered LSR car with an attempt at the record currently on hold pending funding.[40]
• The Bullet Project – Australia's land speed record challenger

References

1. "FIA land speed records". FIA. Archived from the original on 2008-10-11. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
2. Regulations for Record Attempts - CHAPTER 2 Archived November 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine - FIA
3. "§105. Conditions for the recognition of international or world records". Sporting Code: Chapter 7: Records. FIA. Archived from the original on 2008-12-21. Retrieved 2008-10-16.
4. Northey, Tom (1974). "Land Speed Record: The Fastest Men on Earth". In Ian Ward (ed.). World of Automobiles. Vol. 10. London: Orbis. p. 1162.
5. Martin, James A.; Saal, Thomas F. (2004). "Ch 17: Land Speed Record to 1939". American Auto Racing: The Milestones and Personalities of a Century of Speed. McFarland. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-7864-1235-8.
6. Northey, p.1163.
7. Northey, p.1164.
8. Northey, p.1166.
9. Hull, Peter G. "Napier: The Stradivarius of the Road", in Northey, Tom, ed. The World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 13, p.1483.
10. G.N. Georgano Cars: Early and Vintage, 1886–1930. (London: Grange-Universal, 1985).
11. "Women in Motorsport - Timeline". Btinternet.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-24. Retrieved 2010-10-17.
12. Twite, Mike (1974), "Breedlove: Towards the sound barrier", World of Automobiles, Orbis Publishing, 2: 231
13. "Knowingly Navigating the Unknown Archived October 31, 2015, at the Wayback Machine", Maria Russo, The New York Times, May 7, 2013
14. Ellen Jares, Sue. "The Renaissance Woman of Danger—That's Tiny Kitty O'Neil". People. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
15. Phinizy, Coles. "A Rocket Ride To Glory And Gloom". SI Vault. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
16. "Deaf stuntwoman Kitty O'Neil sets women's land-speed record". History. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
17. "Female land speed record broken by Jessi Combs after 48 years". SlashGear. 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
18. Asmelash, Leah (2019-08-28). "Race car driver Jessi Combs, known as the 'fastest woman on four wheels,' dies while trying to beat record". CNN. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
19. "American jet-car racer and Mythbusters host Jessi Combs posthumously awarded world land-speed record for a woman". US: ABC/AP. 2020-06-25. Retrieved 2020-06-26.
20. Northey, p.1161.
21. Fowler, Dave (2019). "Land Speed Record Holders Timeline". Retrieved 2020-02-23.
22. Nagy, Attila (2014-07-18). "The Blazing Fast Evolution Of Land Speed Record Cars". Gizmodo. Australia. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
23. Posthumus, Cyril. Land Speed Record: A complete history of the record-breaking cars from 39 to 600+ mph (Osprey Publishing, Reading, 1971)
24. Cars Against the Clock, The World Land Speed Record, Robert B. Jackson (New York, Henry Z. Walck, Inc.), p.19, ISBN 0-8098-2078-1
25. - The British Steam Car Challenge
26. Seherr-Thoss (October 1987). "History of Automobile World Records". FIA.
27. Scott A. G. M. Crawford, "Campbell, Sir Malcolm (1885–1948)", Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2011 accessed 20 April 2013
28. Holthusen, Peter J.R. (1986). The Land Speed Record ISBN 0-85429-499-6
29. Northey, Tom (1974). "Land Speed Record: The Fastest Men on Earth". In Tom Northey. World of Automobiles. Vol. 10 (London: Orbis), pp.1164-5.
30. Northey, p.1165.
31. "Proteus Bluebird CN7". The National Motor Museum Trust. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
32. "Bluebird CN7 – Donald Campbell". Land Speed Record. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
33. Twite, Mike. "Craig Breedlove: Toward the Sound Barrier", in World of Automobiles (Volume 2, p.231).
34. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-09-12. Retrieved 2017-09-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
35. "Land Speed Record Agreement". The Times (Issue 56193). December 12, 1964. p. 7, col E.
36. Cars Against the Clock, The Fastest Men on Earth, Clifton, Paul, New York, The John Day Company, page 238, L.C. 66-15097
37. Spirit of America, Breedlove, Craig, Chicago, Illinois, Henry Regnery Company, pages 183-184, L.C. 71-143833
38. "FIA land speed records, Cat C" (PDF). FIA. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
39. "Introduction". FIA. Archived from the original on 30 December 2011. Retrieved 17 January 2011.
40. "June 2016 Newsletter". Retrieved 4 July 2016.

External links

• Autoracing Speed Records at Curlie
• Aussie Invader official website - Australian challengers to the supersonic showdown
• Speed Record Club - The Speed Record Club seeks to promote an informed and educated enthusiast identity, reporting accurately and impartially to the best of its ability on record-breaking engineering, events, attempts and history.
• The Land Speed Record in the Sixties: an on-line collection