Craig Breedlove to Chase 800 Miles Per Hour

In the early ’60s Craig Breedlove, Art Arfons and Walt Arfons were trading blows at well over 400 miles an hour as they tussled over the land speed record.

John Cobb had set a land speed record of 394 mph in 1947 and it wasn’t for want of trying that it still stood 15 years later, when Breedlove set out for his first trial runs in ’62. It would be another year before Breedlove could challenge the record and in 1963 he set the land speed record at 408 miles per hour – an average of runs at 388 mph and 428 mph. He did it in the Spirit of America, powered by a GE J47 jet engine lifted from an F-86 Sabre. He was the first man to break the 400 mph barrier.

He was also the first man to break the 600 mph barrier, doing so in the Spirit of America – Sonic 1 in 1965.

And now he’s looking to break the 800 mph barrier. 50 years on from his ’63 record, in 2013, he will return to the Bonneville Salt Flats with a new machine. He won’t be piloting for this record attempt, but will be providing a pair of jet engines, engineering and a lifetime of expertise and experience in a pretty niche field.

Check out the video of his 1963 attempt, complete with amazing music, machinery and bravery.

Via Autoblog