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 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, Hammond was not awarded the record.
[edit] External links
- History of British land speed records
- BBC News article on Richard Hammond's September 2006 British land speed record attempt and crash
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