British land speed record

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The British land speed record is the fastest land speed achieved by a vehicle in the United Kingdom, as opposed to one on water or in the air. It is standardised as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs in opposite directions.

The current record holder is Vampire, driven by Collin Fallows, who hit a speed of 300.3 mph on July 5, 2000.

Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond did travel faster than this on September 20, 2006 driving the same car. He reached a speed of 314 mph on his second of three laps that day, the third lap resulting in a horriffic crash that almost cost him his life. However, due to the rules requiring a second run to be taken in the opposite direction and the need for an official to be present, it is unlikely that Hammond will be awarded the record despite actually breaking it.