American race car driver Craig Breedlove, who held the global land speed record five times and died on April 4, 2023, was born on March 23, 1937, and competed professionally. Using a number of turbojet-powered vehicles with the collective name Spirit of America, he was the first person in history to hit 500 mph (800 km/h) and 600 mph (970 km/h).
He made his first effort in 1962, using a freewheeling tricycle with a General Electric J47 turbojet engine (in defiance of FIA regulations requiring four wheels, at least two driven; in the end, FIM gladly accepted it).
On August 5, 1963, this first Spirit made its maiden attempt at a record, achieving 388.47 mph (625.18 km/h) over the measured mile while using only 90% of its usable thrust.
On the return pass, which was made at 95% power, the two-way average speed was 407.45 mph (655.73 km/h).
Lee Breedlove: Who Is Craig Breedlove’s Wife?
Lee Breedlove was the wife of Craig Breedlove. As Lee Breedlove accelerated the Sonic 1 to 308 mph in 1965, he saw her become the world’s fastest woman. With an AMC Javelin and an AMX, they would jointly break speed and endurance records in locations besides Bonneville. 2009 saw Breedlove’s induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame.