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 railway speed record.
ThrustSSC, driven by Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green, holds the current land speed record at 1,220 km/h (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 jet and rocket propelled 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 19 kW (26 hp) 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 August 27, 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
mphkm/hmphkm/h
December 18, 1898 Achères, France Gaston de Chasseloup-LaubatJeantaud Duc[20]Electric 39.2463.15[21]
January 17, 1899 Achères, France Camille Jenatzy[20]GCA DogcartElectric 41.4266.66[21]
January 17, 1899 Achères, France Gaston de Chasseloup-LaubatJeantaud DucElectric 43.9370.31[21]
January 27, 1899 Achères, France Camille JenatzyGCA DogcartElectric 49.9380.35[21]
March 4, 1899 Achères, France Gaston de Chasseloup-LaubatJeantaud Duc ProfiléeElectric 57.6592.78[21]
April 29, 1899 Achères, France Camille JenatzyCITA No 25 La Jamais ContenteElectric 65.79105.88First purpose designed land speed racer.[22] First record over 100 km/h (62 mph)[21]
April 13, 1902 Nice, France Léon SerpolletGardner-Serpollet
Œuf de Pâques (Easter Egg)		Steam[4] 75.06120.80
August 5, 1902 Ablis, France William K. VanderbiltMors Z Paris-VienneInternal combustion 76.03122.438First internal combustion powered record[4]
November 5, 1902 Dourdan, France Henri FournierMors Z Paris-VienneInternal combustion
4-cylinder, 9.2 litre, 60 bhp		 76.59123.25[23]
November 17, 1902 Dourdan, France Maurice AugièresMors Z Paris-VienneInternal combustion 77.13124.13[21]
July 17, 1903 Ostend, Belgium Arthur DurayGobron Brillié Paris-MadridInternal combustion 83.46132.32First time Railway speed record exceeded [21]
November 5, 1903 Dourdan, France Arthur DurayGobron Brillié Paris-MadridInternal combustion 84.73136.35[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 RigollyGobron-Brillié Paris-MadridInternal combustion94.78152.53[21]
May 25, 1904 Ostend, Belgium Pierre de CatersMercedes Simplex 90Internal combustion97.25156.50[21]
July 21, 1904[23] Ostend, Belgium Louis RigollyGobron-Brillié Gordon BennettInternal combustion103.56166.66First record over 100 mph (161 km/h),[21] 2 months after City of Truro's.
November 13, 1904 Ostend, Belgium Paul BarasDarracq Gordon BennettInternal combustion104.53168.22[21]
December 30, 1905 Arles, France Victor HémeryDarracq SpecialInternal combustion109.59176.37[21]
January 26, 1906 Daytona Beach, United States Fred MarriottStanley Rocket[6]Steam 127.66205.44 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 HémeryBenz No 1
200 hp (150 kW)		Internal combustion:
21.5 L (1,310 cu in) inline-4 Benz engine		125.94202.68115.93186.57First run using electronic timing[6]
June 24, 1914 Brooklands, United Kingdom Lydston HornstedBenz No 3
200 hp (150 kW)		Internal combustion:
21.5 L (1,310 cu in) inline-4 Benz engine		 —124.09199.70 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 GuinnessSunbeam 350 hpV12, single o.h.c, 18.3 litre,
350 b.h.p. engine		133.75215.25The third and last time the record was set at Brooklands[23]
July 6, 1924 Arpajon, France René ThomasDélageInternal combustion, V12, ohv, 10.6 litre, 280 bhp engine143.31230.634[23]
July 12, 1924 Arpajon, France Ernest EldridgeFIAT MephistophelesInternal combustion:
21.7 L (1,320 cu in) inline-6 FIAT A.12 aero engine		 —145.89234.98 Fastest land speed record ever on a public road[6]
September 25, 1924 Pendine, United Kingdom Malcolm CampbellSunbeam 350HPInternal combustion:
18.3 L (1,120 cu in) V12 Sunbeam aero engine		 —146.16235.22 First land speed record by Malcolm Campbell[27]
July 21, 1925 Pendine, United Kingdom Malcolm CampbellSunbeam 350HPInternal combustion:
18.3 L (1,120 cu in) V12 Sunbeam aero engine		 —150.87242.8 First person to travel over 150 mph (241 km/h)[27]
March 16, 1926 Ainsdale beach at Southport, United Kingdom Henry SegraveLadybirdInternal combustion: a 4-litre Sunbeam Tiger
152.33245.15
April 27, 1926 Pendine, United Kingdom J. G. Parry-Thomas Babs Internal combustion:
27 L (1,600 cu in) V12 Liberty L-12 aero engine		 169.29 270.864 168.74 269.984 [28]
April 28, 1926 Pendine, United Kingdom J. G. Parry-ThomasBabsInternal combustion:
27 L (1,600 cu in) V12 Liberty L-12 aero engine		 172.09 275.341171.69274.590[29]
February 4, 1927 Pendine, United Kingdom Malcolm CampbellNapier-Campbell Blue BirdInternal combustion:
22.3 L (1,360 cu in) W12 Napier Lion aero engine		 —174.88281.44[27]
March 29, 1927 Daytona Beach, United States Henry SegraveMystery
(aka "Sunbeam 1000 hp")		Internal combustion:
2 x 22.4 L (1,370 cu in) V12 Sunbeam Matabele aero engines		203.79327.97The first car to reach a speed over 200 mph (320 km/h)[30]
February 19, 1928 Daytona Beach, United States Malcolm CampbellNapier-Campbell Blue BirdInternal combustion:
23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion aero engine		206.956333.048[7]
April 22, 1928 Daytona Beach, United States Ray KeechTriplex SpecialInternal combustion:
3 x 27 L (1,600 cu in) V12 Liberty L-12 aero engines		207.552334.007[31]
March 11, 1929 Daytona Beach, United States Henry SegraveGolden ArrowInternal combustion:
23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion aero engine		231.446372.459Segrave was knighted for this effort.[32]
February 5, 1931 Daytona Beach, United States[23] Malcolm CampbellCampbell-Napier-Railton Blue BirdInternal combustion:
23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engine		246.09396.025Campbell was knighted for this effort.[32]
February 24, 1932 Daytona Beach, United States Malcolm CampbellCampbell-Napier-Railton Blue BirdInternal combustion:
23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engine		253.97408.73First 250 mph (400 km/h) pass.[27]
February 22, 1933 Daytona Beach, United States Malcolm CampbellCampbell-Railton Blue BirdInternal combustion:
36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engine		272.46438.48[27]
March 7, 1935 Daytona Beach, United States Malcolm CampbellCampbell-Railton Blue BirdInternal combustion:
36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engine		276.816445.472[32]
September 3, 1935 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States Malcolm CampbellCampbell-Railton Blue BirdInternal combustion:
36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engine		301.129484.598First 300 mph (480 km/h) pass, first absolute record set at Bonneville[32]
November 19, 1937 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States George EystonThunderboltInternal combustion:
2 x 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engines		311.42501.16[32]
August 27, 1938 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States George EystonThunderboltInternal combustion:
2 x 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engines		345.49[32]556.012
September 15, 1938 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States John CobbRailtonInternal combustion:
2 x 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engines		350.2563.566[32]
September 16, 1938 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States George EystonThunderboltInternal combustion:
2 x 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engines		357.5575.314[32]
August 23, 1939 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States John CobbRailton SpecialInternal combustion:
2 x 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engines		369.74[32]595.04367.91592.091
September 16, 1947 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States John CobbRailton Mobil SpecialInternal combustion:
2 x 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engines		394.196[6]634.397394.19634.39First 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[33][34] 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][35] 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.[36] In October, several four-wheel jet-cars surpassed the 1963 mark, but were eligible for neither FIA nor FIM ratification.[36] 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.[37]

Date Location Driver Vehicle Power Speed over
1 km		 Speed over
1 mile		 Comments
mphkm/hmphkm/h
August 5, 1963 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States Craig BreedloveSpirit of AmericaTurbojet 407.447655.722[8][35] Initially considered unofficial since the vehicle had 3 wheels. Later ratified by FIM.
October 2, 1964 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States Tom GreenWingfoot ExpressTurbojet 413.2665.0[8]
October 5, 1964 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States Art ArfonsGreen MonsterTurbojet 434.03698.50[8]
October 13, 1964 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States Craig BreedloveSpirit of AmericaTurbojet 468.719754.330[21]
October 15, 1964 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States Craig BreedloveSpirit of AmericaTurbojet 526.277846.961[21]
October 27, 1964 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States Art ArfonsGreen MonsterTurbojet 536.710863.751[21]
November 2, 1965 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States Craig BreedloveSpirit of America – Sonic 1Turbojet555.485893.966555.485893.966[38]
November 7, 1965 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States Art ArfonsGreen MonsterTurbojet576.553 927.872576.553927.872[21]
November 15, 1965 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States Craig BreedloveSpirit of America – Sonic 1Turbojet594955.950600.601966.574[39]
October 23, 1970 Bonneville Salt Flats, United States Gary GabelichBlue FlameRocket 630.4781014.656622.4071001.667[40]
October 4, 1983 Black Rock Desert, United States Richard NobleThrust2Turbojet: 1 x Rolls-Royce Avon 634.0511020.406633.471019.47[40]
September 25, 1997 Black Rock Desert, United States Andy GreenThrustSSCTurbofan: 2 x Rolls-Royce Spey 713.9901149.055714.1441149.303 [40]
October 15, 1997 Black Rock Desert, United States Andy GreenThrustSSCTurbofan: 2 x Rolls-Royce Spey 760.3431223.657763.0351227.986[41]First to break the speed of sound

See also

References
  1. "FIA land speed records". FIA. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  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 December 21, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  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 July 24, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  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 January 7, 2014.
  15. Phinizy, Coles. "A Rocket Ride To Glory And Gloom". SI Vault. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  16. "Deaf stuntwoman Kitty O'Neil sets women's land-speed record". History. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  17. "Female land speed record broken by Jessi Combs after 48 years". SlashGear. October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  18. Asmelash, Leah (August 28, 2019). "Race car driver Jessi Combs, known as the 'fastest woman on four wheels,' dies while trying to beat record". CNN. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  19. "American jet-car racer and Mythbusters host Jessi Combs posthumously awarded world land-speed record for a woman". US: ABC/AP. June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  20. Northey, p.1161.
  21. Fowler, Dave (2019). "Land Speed Record Holders Timeline". Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  22. Nagy, Attila (July 18, 2014). "The Blazing Fast Evolution Of Land Speed Record Cars". Gizmodo. Australia. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  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. "Hier, sur la plage de Pendine, l'Anglais J. P. Thomas a atteint la formidable vitesse de 277 kil. à l'heure!". L'Auto: 1. April 28, 1926 – via BnF/Gallica.
  29. "A nouveau, J. P. Thomas a battu hier les records du monde du mille et du kilomètre qu'il s'était appropriés la veille!". L'Auto: 1. April 29, 1926 – via BnF/Gallica.
  30. Holthusen, Peter J.R. (1986). The Land Speed Record ISBN 0-85429-499-6
  31. Northey, Tom (1974). "Land Speed Record: The Fastest Men on Earth". In Tom Northey. World of Automobiles. Vol. 10 (London: Orbis), pp.1164–5.
  32. Northey, p.1165.
  33. "Proteus Bluebird CN7". The National Motor Museum Trust. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  34. "Bluebird CN7 – Donald Campbell". Land Speed Record. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  35. Twite, Mike. "Craig Breedlove: Toward the Sound Barrier", in World of Automobiles (Volume 2, p.231).
  36. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  37. "Land Speed Record Agreement". The Times (56193). December 12, 1964. p. 7, col E.
  38. Cars Against the Clock, The Fastest Men on Earth, Clifton, Paul, New York, The John Day Company, page 238, L.C. 66-15097
  39. Spirit of America, Breedlove, Craig, Chicago, Illinois, Henry Regnery Company, pages 183–184, L.C. 71-143833
  40. "FIA land speed records, Cat C" (PDF). FIA. Retrieved July 12, 2009.
  41. "Introduction". FIA. Archived from the original on December 30, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  42. "June 2016 Newsletter". Retrieved July 4, 2016.
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