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, vehicles that use thrust from a jet engine or rocket are ineligible (although the use of such engines is permitted if they drive the wheels).

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 any one-mile or one-kilometer distance, averaged over two runs in opposite directions (to factor out wind) 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
mphkm/hmphkm/h
July 17, 1964 Lake Eyre, AustraliaDonald Campbell Bluebird CN7 Turboshaft —403.10648.73 FIA's official absolute record-holder until a change in the rules in December 1964 made jetcars eligible.[3]
November 12, 1965 Bonneville Salt Flats, USABob Summers Goldenrod 4 Chrysler Hemi V8 engines —409.277658.526 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 Elwin "Al" Teague Spirit of '76 (Torque Speed-o-Motive Streamliner) IC
supercharged Chrysler hemi		 425.050 684.052 409.978 659.796 Piston-engined record[2] Group I, Class 11:[4] 2 or 4 stroke engine with supercharger, cylinder capacity > 8000 cm3 until 2008[5]
October 18, 2001 Bonneville Salt Flats, USA Don Vesco Vesco Turbinator Turboshaft 458.196 737.395 470.444 757.106 [2] Group IX, Class 3:[4] Turbine engine, unloaded weight > 1000 kg[5]
September 26, 2008 Bonneville Salt Flats, USA Tom Burkland Burkland 411 Streamliner IC
supercharged hemi		 —415.896 669.319 Piston-engined record[2] Group I, Class 11:[4] 2 or 4 stroke engine with supercharger, cylinder capacity > 8000 cm3[5]
August 25, 2009Bonneville Salt Flats, USARoger SchroerVenturi Buckeye BulletElectric motor by Venturi Automobiles303.025487.672302.877487.4331st electric vehicle to go over 300 mph[6]
August 24, 2010Bonneville Salt Flats, USARoger SchroerVenturi Buckeye BulletElectric motor by Venturi Automobiles307.905495.526307.666495.140[6]
September 21, 2010 Bonneville Salt Flats, USACharles E. Nearburg Spirit of Rett streamliner IC
General Motors V8		 414.477 667.037 414.316 666.776 Non-supercharged piston-engine record[2] Group II, Class 11:[4]
September 17, 2012 Bonneville Salt Flats, USAGeorge Poteet Speed Demon streamliner IC
turbocharged Chevrolet Small Block [7]		 462 707.408 Group I, Class 10[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Fadini, Ugo (20 August 2002). "Who holds the "wheel-driven" LSR?". Retrieved 2008-11-09.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Fadini, Ugo (17 August 2002). "Don Vesco becomes undisputed holder of the "wheel-driven" LSR". Retrieved 2008-11-09.
  3. ↑ "from our motoring correspondent" (Dec 12, 1964). "Land Speed Record Agreement". The Times (Issue 56193). p. 7, col E.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 "List of Records Category A" (PDF) (in French). FIA. 2011-01-04. Retrieved 2011-05-09.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 "Appendix B: Category A". Records. FIA. Retrieved 2008-11-09.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 (French)LISTE OFFICIELLE DES RECORDS DE VITESSE HOMOLOGUES PAR LA FIA EN CATEGORIE A - FIA
  7. ↑ http://landspeedevents.com/blog/poteet-and-main/
  8. ↑ http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-news/stunts-records/new-world-speed-record-for-a-piston-engined-car-439-mph-38899