Land speed record

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

ThrustSSC, driven by Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green, holds the current land speed record at 1,227.986 km/h (763.035 mph) set October 15, 1997.

The land speed record (LSR) or absolute land speed record is the highest speed achieved by a person using a vehicle on land. By a 1964 agreement between the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM), respective governing bodies for racing in automobiles and motorcycles (two or three wheels), both bodies recognise as the absolute LSR whatever is the highest speed record achieved across any of their various categories.[1] While the three-wheeled Spirit of America set an FIM-validated LSR in 1963, all subsequent LSRs are by vehicles in FIA Category C ("Special Vehicles") in either class JE (jet engine) or class RT (rocket powered).[2][3]

FIA LSRs are officiated and validated by its regional or national affiliate organizations.[4] Speed measurement is standardized over a course measuring either 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) or 1 mile (1.6 km), averaged over two runs with flying start (commonly called "passes")[5] going in opposite directions within one hour. A new record mark must exceed the previous one by at least one percent to be validated.[6]

History

The first regulator was the

Automobile Club de France, which proclaimed itself arbiter of the record in about 1902.[7]

Ralph DePalma in his Packard '905' Special at Daytona Beach in 1919
The White Triplex in 1928, driven by Ray Keech

Different clubs had different standards and did not always recognize the same world records

jet and rocket propelled class.[11]
No holder of the absolute record since has been wheel-driven.

In the U.S. and Australia, record runs are often done on salt flats, so the cars are often called salt cars.[citation needed]

Women's land speed record

Dorothy Levitt, in a 19 kW (26 hp) Napier, at Brooklands, England, in 1908

The FIA does not recognize separate men's and women's land speed records, because the records are set using motorized vehicles, and not muscle-powered vehicles, so the gender of the driver does not matter; however, unofficial women's records have long been claimed, seemingly starting with Dorothy Levitt's 1906 record in Blackpool, England, and, unlike the FIA and other car-racing organisations, Guinness World Records does recognize gender-based land speed records.[12]

In 1906, Dorothy Levitt broke the women's world speed record for the flying kilometer, recording a speed of 154 km/h (96 mph) and receiving the sobriquet the "Fastest Girl on Earth". She drove a six-cylinder Napier motorcar, a 75 kW (100 hp) development of the K5, in a speed trial in Blackpool.[13][14][15]

in 1963,

jet dragster Avenger.[12][16] The rival tire company Firestone and Art Arfons hit back against Goodyear and Walt Arfons when Betty Skelton drove Art's Cyclops to achieve a two-way average of 446.63 km/h (277.52 mph) in September 1965.[12]

Five weeks later, Goodyear hit back against Firestone with

Lee Breedlove.[12] While recordkeeping has not been as extensive, a report in 1974 confirmed that a record was held by Lee Breedlove, the wife of then overall record holder Craig Breedlove, who piloted her husband's Spirit of America – Sonic I to a record 496.492 km/h (308.506 mph) in 1965.[17] 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.[18]

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.[19] Held back by her contract with a sponsor and using only 60 percent of her car's power, O'Neil reached an average speed of 825.127 km/h (512.710 mph).[20][21]

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 632.40 km/h (392.954 mph), surpassing Breedlove's 48-year-old record.[22] 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.[23] In late June 2020, the Guinness Book of Records reclassified the August 27, 2019 speed runs as meeting its requirements, and Combs was posthumously credited with the record at 841.338 km/h (522.783 mph), noting she was the first to break the record in 40 years.[24]

Records

1898–1964 (wheel-driven)

Date Location Driver Vehicle Power Speed Comments
Over 1 km Over 1 mile
(mph) (km/h) (mph) (km/h)
December 18, 1898 France Achères, France France Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat Jeantaud Duc[25] Electric 39.24 63.15 [26] Conducted over 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from a flying start.[27]
January 17, 1899 France Achères, France Belgium Camille Jenatzy[25] GCA Dogcart Electric 41.42 66.66 [26]
January 17, 1899 France Achères, France France Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat Jeantaud Duc Electric 43.93 70.31 [26]
January 27, 1899 France Achères, France Belgium Camille Jenatzy GCA Dogcart Electric 49.93 80.35 [26]
March 4, 1899 France Achères, France France Gaston de Chasseloup-Laubat Jeantaud Duc Profilée Electric 57.65 92.78 [26]
April 29, 1899 France Achères, France Belgium Camille Jenatzy CITA No 25 La Jamais Contente Electric 65.79 105.88 First purpose-designed land speed racer[28] First record over 100 km/h (62 mph)[26]
April 13, 1902 France Nice, France France Léon Serpollet Gardner-Serpollet
Œuf de Pâques (Easter Egg)
Steam[7] 75.06 120.80
August 5, 1902 France Ablis, France United States William Kissam Vanderbilt II Mors Z Paris-Vienne Internal combustion 76.03 122.438 First internal combustion powered record[7]
November 5, 1902 France Dourdan, France France Henri Fournier Mors Z Paris-Vienne Internal combustion
V4, 9.2-litre, 60 bhp
76.59 123.25 [29]
November 17, 1902 France Dourdan, France France Maurice Augières Mors Z Paris-Vienne Internal combustion 77.13 124.13 [26]
July 17, 1903 Belgium Ostend, Belgium Belgium Arthur Duray Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid Internal combustion 83.46 132.32 [26]
November 5, 1903 France Dourdan, France Belgium Arthur Duray Gobron Brillié Paris-Madrid Internal combustion 84.73 136.35 [29]
January 12, 1904 United States New Baltimore, United States United States Henry Ford Ford 999 Racer Internal combustion 91.37 147.05 [30]
March 31, 1904 France Nice, France France Louis Rigolly Gobron-Brillié Paris-Madrid Internal combustion 94.78 152.53 [26]
May 25, 1904 Belgium Ostend, Belgium Belgium Pierre de Caters Mercedes Simplex 90 Internal combustion 97.25 156.50 [26]
July 21, 1904[29] Belgium Ostend, Belgium France Louis Rigolly Gobron-Brillié Gordon Bennett Internal combustion 103.56 166.66 First record over 100 mph (161 km/h),
City of Truro
's.
November 13, 1904 Belgium Ostend, Belgium France Paul Baras Darracq Gordon Bennett Internal combustion 104.53 168.22 [26]
December 30, 1905 France Arles, France France Victor Hémery Darracq Special Internal combustion 109.59 176.37 [26]
January 26, 1906 United States Daytona Beach, United States United States Fred Marriott
Stanley Rocket[9]
Steam 127.66 205.44 First record over 200 km/h (124 mph). First faster than contemporary rail speed record. Fastest steam-powered land vehicle until 2009.[31]
November 8, 1909[32] United Kingdom Brooklands, United Kingdom France 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[9]
June 24, 1914 United Kingdom Brooklands, United Kingdom 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[9]
May 17, 1922 United Kingdom Brooklands, United Kingdom United Kingdom Kenelm Lee Guinness Sunbeam 350HP V12, single ohc, 18.3 litre,
350 b.h.p. engine
133.75 215.25 The third and last time the record was set at Brooklands[29]
July 6, 1924 France Arpajon, France France René Thomas Délage Internal combustion, V12, ohv, 10.6 litre, 280 bhp engine 143.31 230.634 [29]
July 12, 1924 France Arpajon, France United Kingdom Ernest Eldridge
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[9]
September 25, 1924 United Kingdom Pendine, United Kingdom 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[33]
July 21, 1925 United Kingdom Pendine, United Kingdom 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 on land at over 150 mph (241 km/h)[33]
March 16, 1926 United Kingdom Ainsdale beach at Southport, United Kingdom United Kingdom Henry Segrave Ladybird Internal combustion: a 4-litre Sunbeam Tiger
152.33 245.15
April 27, 1926 United Kingdom Pendine, United Kingdom 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 [34]
April 28, 1926 United Kingdom Pendine, United Kingdom United Kingdom J. G. Parry-Thomas Babs Internal combustion:
27 L (1,600 cu in) V12 Liberty L-12 aero engine
172.09 275.341 171.69 274.590 [35]
February 4, 1927 United Kingdom Pendine, United Kingdom 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 [33]
March 29, 1927 United States Daytona Beach, United States United Kingdom Henry Segrave Mystery
(aka "Sunbeam 1000 hp")
Internal combustion:
2 × 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)[36]
February 19, 1928 United States Daytona Beach, United States United Kingdom Malcolm Campbell Napier-Campbell Blue Bird Internal combustion:
23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion aero engine
206.956 333.048 [10]
April 22, 1928 United States Daytona Beach, United States United States Ray Keech Triplex Special Internal combustion:
3 × 27 L (1,600 cu in) V12 Liberty L-12 aero engines
207.552 334.007 [37]
March 11, 1929 United States Daytona Beach, United States United Kingdom 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[38]
February 5, 1931 United States Daytona Beach, United States[29] United Kingdom 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[38]
February 24, 1932 United States Daytona Beach, United States United Kingdom 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.[33]
February 22, 1933 United States Daytona Beach, United States United Kingdom 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 [33]
March 7, 1935 United States Daytona Beach, United States United Kingdom 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 [38]
September 3, 1935 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United Kingdom 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[38]
November 19, 1937 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United Kingdom George Eyston Thunderbolt Internal combustion:
2 × 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engines
311.42 501.16 [38]
August 27, 1938 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United Kingdom George Eyston Thunderbolt Internal combustion:
2 × 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engines
345.49 [38] 556.012
September 15, 1938 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United Kingdom John Cobb Railton Internal combustion:
2 × 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engines
350.2 563.566 [38]
September 16, 1938 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United Kingdom George Eyston Thunderbolt Internal combustion:
2 × 36.7 L (2,240 cu in) V12 Rolls-Royce R supercharged aero engines
357.5 575.314 [38]
August 23, 1939 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United Kingdom John Cobb Railton Special Internal combustion:
2 × 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engines
369.74 [38] 595.04 367.91 592.091
September 16, 1947 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United Kingdom John Cobb Railton Mobil Special Internal combustion:
2 × 23.9 L (1,460 cu in) W12 Napier Lion supercharged aero engines
394.196 [9] 634.397 394.19 634.39 First single pass at over 400 mph (402 mph)
July 17, 1964 Australia Lake Eyre, Australia United Kingdom Donald Campbell
Bluebird CN7
Turboshaft: 1 × 4,000 hp (3,000 kW) Bristol Proteus gas turbine 403.10 [39][40] 648.73 Last wheel driven absolute record.

1963–present (jet and rocket propulsion)

jet-cars surpassed the 1963 mark, but were eligible for neither FIA nor FIM ratification.[42] 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.[1]

Date Location Driver Vehicle Power Speed Comments
Over 1 km Over 1 mile
(mph) (km/h) (mph) (km/h)
August 5, 1963 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United States Craig Breedlove Spirit of America Turbojet 407.447 655.722 [11][41] Initially considered unofficial since the vehicle had 3 wheels. Later ratified by FIM.
October 2, 1964 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United States Tom Green Wingfoot Express Turbojet 413.2 665.0 [11]
October 5, 1964 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United States Art Arfons Green Monster Turbojet 434.03 698.50 [11]
October 13, 1964 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United States Craig Breedlove Spirit of America Turbojet 468.719 754.330 [26]
October 15, 1964 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United States Craig Breedlove Spirit of America Turbojet 526.277 846.961 [26]
October 27, 1964 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United States Art Arfons Green Monster Turbojet 536.710 863.751 [26]
November 2, 1965 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United States Craig Breedlove Spirit of America – Sonic 1 Turbojet 555.485 893.966 555.485 893.966 [43]
November 7, 1965 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United States Art Arfons Green Monster Turbojet 576.553 927.872 576.553 927.872 [26]
November 15, 1965 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United States Craig Breedlove Spirit of America – Sonic 1 Turbojet 594 955.950 600.601 966.574 First thrust powered record to be ratified by the FIA
October 23, 1970 United States Bonneville Salt Flats, United States United States Gary Gabelich Blue Flame Rocket 630.478 1014.656 622.407 1001.667 [44]
October 4, 1983 United States Black Rock Desert, United States United Kingdom Richard Noble Thrust2 Turbojet: 1 × Rolls-Royce Avon 634.051 1020.406 633.47 1019.47 [44]
September 25, 1997 United States Black Rock Desert, United States United Kingdom Andy Green ThrustSSC Turbofan: 2 × Rolls-Royce Spey 713.990 1149.055 714.144 1149.303 [44]
October 15, 1997 United States Black Rock Desert, United States United Kingdom Andy Green ThrustSSC Turbofan: 2 × Rolls-Royce Spey 760.343 1223.657 763.035 1227.986 [45] First to break the speed of sound

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Land Speed Record Agreement". The Times. No. 56193. December 12, 1964. p. 7, col E.
  2. ^ "List Of FIA Absolute World Records" (PDF). FIA. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  3. ^ "Official List Of World Speed Records Homologated By The FIA In Category C" (PDF). FIA. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
  4. ^ "FIA land speed records". FIA. Archived from the original on October 11, 2008. Retrieved October 16, 2008.
  5. ^ Regulations for Record Attempts – CHAPTER 2 Archived November 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine – FIA
  6. ^ "§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.
  7. ^ a b c Northey, Tom (1974). "Land Speed Record: The Fastest Men on Earth". In Ian Ward (ed.). World of Automobiles. Vol. 10. London: Orbis. p. 1162.
  8. ^ 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. .
  9. ^ a b c d e f Northey, p.1163.
  10. ^ a b Northey, p.1164.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Northey, p.1166.
  12. ^ a b c d e Strohl, Daniel (September 26, 2019). "What exactly is the women's world land-speed record?". Hemmings. Retrieved June 25, 2021. ... the Fédération Internationale de L'Automobile, which oversees world land-speed record attempts, doesn't recognize separate men's and women's records. ... The Guinness Book of World Records – to which the North American Eagle team submitted Combs's data – appears to be the only record-keeping entity that does recognize gender-separated land-speed records ... The idea of creating a separate, though unofficial, category for women's land-speed records likely originated with Levitt ... Goodyear and Firestone didn't place Murphy, Skelton, and Lee Breedlove in those cars to empower women; they did it instead to market to women ... That the women's land-speed record does not officially exist may be a relic of less enlightened times when men believed women to be inferior and incapable of handling an automobile, but it may also, ironically, serve the interests of gender equality.
  13. ^ Hull, Peter G. "Napier: The Stradivarius of the Road", in Northey, Tom, ed. The World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 13, p.1483.
  14. G.N. Georgano
    Cars: Early and Vintage, 1886–1930. (London: Grange-Universal, 1985).
  15. ^ "Women in Motorsport – Timeline". Btinternet.com. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2010.
  16. .
  17. ^ Twite, Mike (1974), "Breedlove: Towards the sound barrier", World of Automobiles, Orbis Publishing, 2: 231
  18. ^ "Knowingly Navigating the Unknown Archived October 31, 2015, at the Wayback Machine", Maria Russo, The New York Times, May 7, 2013
  19. ^ Ellen Jares, Sue. "The Renaissance Woman of Danger—That's Tiny Kitty O'Neil". People. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  20. ^ Phinizy, Coles. "A Rocket Ride To Glory And Gloom". SI Vault. Retrieved August 28, 2019.
  21. ^ "Deaf stuntwoman Kitty O'Neil sets women's land-speed record". History. Archived from the original on June 13, 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  22. ^ "Female land speed record broken by Jessi Combs after 48 years". SlashGear. October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  23. ^ 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.
  24. ABC/AP
    . June 25, 2020. Retrieved June 26, 2020.
  25. ^ a b Northey, p.1161.
  26. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Fowler, Dave (2019). "Land Speed Record Holders Timeline". Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  27. .
  28. ^ Nagy, Attila (July 18, 2014). "The Blazing Fast Evolution Of Land Speed Record Cars". Gizmodo. Australia. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  29. ^ a b c d e f Posthumus, Cyril. Land Speed Record: A complete history of the record-breaking cars from 39 to 600+ mph (Osprey Publishing, Reading, 1971)
  30. ^ [1] Archived July 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine – The British Steam Car Challenge
  31. ^ Seherr-Thoss (October 1987). "History of Automobile World Records". FIA.
  32. ^
    Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2011 accessed 20 April 2013 Archived October 22, 2022, at the Wayback Machine
  33. ^ "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.
  34. ^ "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.
  35. ^ Northey, Tom (1974). "Land Speed Record: The Fastest Men on Earth". In Tom Northey. World of Automobiles. Vol. 10 (London: Orbis), pp.1164–5.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g h i Northey, p.1165.
  37. ^ "Proteus Bluebird CN7". The National Motor Museum Trust. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  38. ^ "Bluebird CN7 – Donald Campbell". Land Speed Record. Retrieved June 17, 2019.
  39. ^ a b Twite, Mike. "Craig Breedlove: Toward the Sound Barrier", in World of Automobiles (Volume 2, p.231).
  40. ^ a b "Land Speed Record History | Bloodhound SSC Risbridger". Archived from the original on September 12, 2017. Retrieved September 9, 2017.
  41. ^ Cars Against the Clock, The Fastest Men on Earth, Clifton, Paul, New York, The John Day Company, page 238, L.C. 66-15097
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  43. ^ "Introduction". FIA. Archived from the original on December 30, 2011. Retrieved January 17, 2011.
  44. ^ "June 2016 Newsletter". Retrieved July 4, 2016.

External links