Land Speed Record

(1999 Note: the ThrustSSC site is no longer up.)

October 1997, in Nevada's Black Rock desert, Craig Breedlove and Richard Noble faced off. Or their vehicles, the Spirit Of America and ThrustSSC, did.

The current record is was 633.468 mph, set by Noble in 1983. Breedlove was the first to top 600 mph, back in 1965. Both men are eyeballing 700 mph on the way to possibly breaking the sound barrier (~ 750 mph)!

ThrustSSC has already seen 687 mph. SOA's engine munched a foreign object and is being replaced after reaching 328 mph, though it did achieve a peak speed of 675 mph before crashing in last year's attempt.

IT'S ALREADY HAPPENED! On Thursday, September 25, 1997, the ThrustSSC set, confirmed Oct 9 by the FIA, a new World Land Speed Record of 714.144 mph through the measured mile.

On Monday, October 13, 1997, exactly one day shy of the 50th anniversary of the day Chuck Yeager became the first man to fly faster than the speed of sound, Andy Green became the first man to (officially) DRIVE at supersonic speeds. Unfortunately, the ThrustSSC -- which finally lived up to its name -- was unable to make the required return run within 1 hour, so the Land Speed Record today remains subsonic. (Another 'chute failure resulted in a 61-minute turn-around!) The first officially measured supersonic run was 764.168 mph (1229.776 km/h), which was Mach 1.007.

On Wednesday, October 15, 1997, exactly one day after the 50th anniversary (etc.), subject, of course, to FIA confirmation, ThrustSSC set the first ever supersonic World Land Speed Record of 763.035 mph with runs of 759.333/M=1.015 and 766.609mph/M=1.020.

Congratulations to the entire ThrustSSC team!

Check out the world's coolest car pic! (so far):

Mach 1, or thereabouts!