Land speed record

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

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

ThrustSSC, driven by Andy Green, holds the current land speed record

The land speed record (or absolute land speed record) is the fastest speed achieved by any wheeled vehicle on land. There is no single body for validation and regulation; what is used in practice is the Category C ("Special Vehicles") flying start regulations, officiated by regional or national organizations under the auspices of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. The record is standardized as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs (commonly called "passes") in opposite directions within one hour. A new record mark must exceed the previous one by one percent to be validated. There are numerous other class records for cars, and motorcycles fall into another, separate, class. The current absolute record holder is ThrustSSC, a twin turbofan-powered car which achieved 763 mph for the mile (1.6 km), breaking the sound barrier.

Until 1906, the rail speed record exceeded the auto speed record. However, the current unmanned record is held by a railed vehicle and stands at Mach 8.5.

History

The first regulators were the Automobile Club de France, who proclaimed themselves arbiters of the record around 1902.

In 1906 Dorothy Levitt broke the women's world speed record recording a speed of 96 mph (154 km/h) and was described as the "Fastest Girl on Earth" when she drove a six-cylinder Napier motorcar in a speed trial in Blackpool.

Different clubs had different standards and did not always recognise the same world records until 1924, when Association International des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) introduced new regulations: 2 passes averaged with a maximum 30min (later more) between runs, average gradient of the racing surface not over 1%, timing gear accurate within 0.01sec, and cars must be wheel-driven. National or regional auto clubs (such as AAA and SCTA) had to be AIACR members to ensure records would be recognized. The AIACR became the FIA in 1947. Controversy arose in 1963. Spirit of America failed on being a three-wheeler (leading Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme to certify the record when FIA refused) and not wheel-driven, but the general public did not care, so FIA introduced a special wheel-driven class. No holder of the absolute record since has been wheel-driven.

Records

1898 – 1965 (wheel driven)

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	Camille Jenatzy	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	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 999 Racer	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 100 mi/h
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 200 km/h (Template:Convert/mi/h)Template:Convert/test/Aon, first speed greater than contemporary rail speed record, remains the record for steam powered vehicles
November 6, 1909	Brooklands, United Kingdom	Victor Hémery	200 hp (150 kW) Benz No 1	IC	125.94	202.68	115.93	186.57	first run using electronic timing
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, set at Brooklands under new Association International des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) 2-way rule
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	Sunbeam 350HP	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	Blue Bird	IC	146.15	235.21	146.16	235.22
July 21, 1925	Pendine Sands, Wales	Malcolm Campbell	Blue Bird	IC	150.86	242.79	150.76	242.62
March 21, 1926	Southport, United Kingdom	Henry Segrave	4 Litre Sunbeam Tiger Ladybird	IC	152.30	245.10	149.32	240.31	Last record set by a racing car, not a specialist record-breaker
April 27 1926	Pendine Sands, Wales	J.G. Parry-Thomas	Babs (Land speed record car)|Babs]] (ex-Higham-Thomas Special)	IC 26.9 liter Liberty	169.29	272.45	168.07	270.48
April 28, 1926	Pendine Sands, Wales	J.G. Parry-Thomas	Babs	IC	171.01	273.60	170.62	274.59	Survived. His death was in March a year later, trying to re-capture the record from Campbell
February 4, 1927	Pendine Sands, Wales	Malcolm Campbell	Blue Bird II	IC	174.88	281.44	174.22	280.38	Last record set in Europe
March 29, 1927	Daytona Beach, USA	Henry Segrave	Sunbeam 1000 hp	IC	202.98	326.66	203.79	327.97	First over 200 mi/h
February 19, 1928	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Blue Bird III	IC	—		206.95	333.05
April 22, 1928	Daytona Beach, USA	Ray Keech	White Triplex Spirit of Elkdom	IC Three 26.9 liter Liberty	—		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	Segrave retired from land speed racing and 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-Railton Blue Bird	IC	272.46	438.48	272.10	437.90
March 7, 1935	Daytona Beach, USA	Malcolm Campbell	Campbell-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-Railton Blue Bird	IC	—		301.129	484.620	First over 300 mi/h
November 19, 1937	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	George Eyston	Thunderbolt	IC	312.00	502.11	311.41	501.17
August 27, 1938	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	George Eyston	Thunderbolt	IC	345.20	555.55	345.48	556.00
November 12, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats, USA	Bob Summers	Goldenrod	IC	-	-	409.277	658.527

1963 – present (jet and rocket propulsion)

Craig Breedlove's mark of 408.312 mph, 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. On July 27 1964, Donald Campbell's Bluebird CN7 posted a time of 403.10 mph on Lake Eyre, Australia. This became the official FIA LSR, although Campbell was disappointed not to have beaten Breedlove's time. In October, several four-wheel jet-cars surpassed the 1963 mark, but were eligible for neither the FIA nor FIM ratification. 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. Thus, Art Arfons' Green Monster was belatedly recognised as the absolute LSR holder, while Bluebird held the now-separate wheel-driven land speed record, and Spirit of America the tricycle record. Since then, no wheel-driven car has held the absolute record.

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
October 5, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats	Tom Green	Wingfoot Express	Turbojet	415.093	668.027	413.199	664.979	Unratified
October 7, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats	Art Arfons	Green Monster	Turbojet	434.356	699.028	434.022	698.490	Unratified
October 13, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America	Turbojet	—		468.719	754.330	Unratified
October 15, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America	Turbojet	—		526.277	846.861	Unratified
October 27, 1964	Bonneville Salt Flats	Art Arfons	Green Monster	Turbojet	544.134	875.699	536.710	863.791	First FIA-ratified jetcar LSR
November 2, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America - Sonic 1	Turbojet	555.485	893.966	555.485	893.966
November 7, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats	Art Arfons	Green Monster	Turbojet	572.546	921.423	576.553	927.872
November 15, 1965	Bonneville Salt Flats	Craig Breedlove	Spirit of America - Sonic 1	Turbojet	600.842	966.961	600.601	966.574
October 23, 1970	Bonneville Salt Flats	Gary Gabelich	Blue Flame	Rocket	630.389	1014.52	622.407	1001.67	First record over 1,000 km/h (Template:Convert/mi/h)Template:Convert/test/Aon
October 4, 1983	Black Rock Desert, USA	Richard Noble	Thrust2	Turbojet	—		633	1019.47
September 25, 1997	Black Rock Desert, USA	Andy Green	ThrustSSC	Turbofan	713.990	1149.055	714.144	1149.303
October 15, 1997	Black Rock Desert, USA	Andy Green	ThrustSSC	Turbofan	760.343	1223.657	763.035	1227.986	First supersonic record

See also

• List of vehicle speed records
• Wheel-driven land speed record
• Fastest production car
• Motorcycle land speed record

External links

• www.peterrenn.clara.net
• Autoracing speed records