Wheel Driven Land Speed Record

 

The wheel-driven land speed record differs from the absolute land speed record in requiring that the vehicle be wheel-driven; thus, jet engine and rocket propelled vehicles are ineligible.

Until 1963, the absolute land speed record holder was always a wheel-driven car. The first jet-car to exceed the absolute record was Craig Breedlove's Spirit of America. Since then, no wheel-driven car has held the absolute record.

There is no "wheel-driven" category as such.[1] The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile validates records in a variety of classes, of which the "wheel-driven" classes are in Category A (Special cars) and Category B (Production cars). The accepted record is fastest average speed recorded over one mile or one kilometer with a flying start, averaged over two runs in opposite directions within one hour of each other. The most recent Wheel-driven" record holders have been from a variety of different classes within Category A.[2]

Since 1963, holders of the wheel-driven land speed record have been:

Date Location Driver Vehicle Power Speed over
1 km
Speed over
1 mile
Notes
mph km/h mph km/h
September 16, 1947 Bonneville Salt Flats, USA Flag of the United Kingdom John Cobb Railton Mobil Special IC 393.82 633.79 394.19 634.39 First 400 mph (640 km/h) pass
July 17, 1964 Lake Eyre, Australia Flag of the United Kingdom Donald Campbell Bluebird CN7 Turboshaft 403.10 644.96 FIA's official absolute record-holder till a change in the rules in December 1964 made jetcars eligible.[3]
November 13, 1965 Bonneville Salt Flats, USA Flag of the United States Bob Summers Goldenrod IC 409.277 658.526 Still the non-supercharged piston-engine record[2]Group II, Class 11:[4] 2 or 4 stroke engine without supercharger, cylinder capacity > 8000 cm³[5]
August 21, 1991 Bonneville Salt Flats, USA Flag of the United States Elwin "Al" Teague Spirit of '76 (Torque Speed-o-Mative Streamliner) supercharged hemi 425.050 684.052 409.978 659.796 Still the piston-engined record[2] Group I, Class 11:[4] 2 or 4 stroke engine with supercharger, cylinder capacity > 8000 cm³[5]
October 18, 2001 Bonneville Salt Flats, USA Flag of the United States Don Vesco Vesco Turbinator Turboshaft 458.196 737.395 458.444 737.794 [2]Group IX, Class 3:[4] Turbine engine, unloaded weight > 1000 kg[5]
September 26, 2008Bonneville Salt Flats, USAFlag of the United States Tom BurklandBurkland 411 StreamlinerIC supercharged hemi--415.896669.319Piston-engined record[2] Group I, Class 11:[4] 2 or 4 stroke engine with supercharger, cylinder capacity > 8000 cm3[5]
September 21, 2010Bonneville Salt Flats, USAFlag of the United States Charles E. NearburgSpirit of Rett streamlinerIC General Motors V8414.477667.037414.316666.776Non-supercharged piston-engine record[2] Group II, Class 11:[4]
September  17, 2012Bonneville Salt Flats, USAFlag of the United States George PoteetSpeed Demon StreamlinerIC Hellfire439.562707.408439.024706.540Piston-engined record[2] 2 or 4 stroke engine with supercharger, Category A, Group 1,  Class 10




Graphic Supplied by Danny Thompson

See also

References

  1. ^ Fadini, Ugo (20 August 2002). "Who holds the "wheel-driven" LSR?". http://www.ugofadini.com/lsrwdold.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-09. 
  2. ^ a b c d Fadini, Ugo (17 August 2002). "Don Vesco becomes undisputed holder of the "wheel-driven" LSR". http://www.ugofadini.com/lsrwdnew.html. Retrieved on 2008-11-09. 
  3. ^ "from our motoring correspondent" (Saturday, Dec 12, 1964). "Land Speed Record Agreement". The Times (Issue 56193): p. 7, col E. 
  4. ^ a b c d e "List of Records Category A" (in French) (PDF). FIA. 2008-06-05. http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/AB19CCBEAE22D41BC125745F00375686/$FILE/Liste%20Records%20Cat%20A.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-11-06. 
  5. ^ a b c d "Appendix B: Category A". Records. FIA. http://www.fia.com/en-GB/sport/records/appendixb/Pages/CategoryA.aspx. Retrieved on 2008-11-09.