There is a healthy rivalry brewing between three racing adversaries — a Canadian/American team, an Australian team, and the current record holder UK team. All are bent on having the first vehicle to travel faster than 800 mph for the World Land Speed Record.
The Canadian/American team, North American Eagle, once they have secured sponsorship funding could attempt the record this year. The UK team, Bloodhound SSC, appears ready to attempt the record in 2013. And the Australian, Aussie Invader 5R, which will be ready in 2013-14.
“The first jet propelled vehicle to set a World Land Speed Record was The Spirit of America driven by American Craig Breedlove in 1963 at a speed of 408.312 mph. The Americans owned the record until the Brits took possession of it in 1983. Now we are ready to bring the record back to North America where it belongs,” stated Ed Shadle, co-owner and driver of the North American Eagle.
The North American Eagle is a converted F-104 Star fighter. The F-104, dubbed by aviation enthusiasts and the press as “The Missile with a Man in it,” is powered by the 50,000hp GE J79 turbo-jet engine giving it more than enough thrust to travel at Mach 2.2 — over twice the speed of sound. The North American Eagle uses a 50,000hp J79 jet engine and fuselage from a F-104 aircraft. It has already reached speeds approaching 500 mph.
“World Land Speed Record Racing used to have considerable international interest. When Thrust SSC broke the record in 1997, one billion television impressions were measured along with 3.5 million internet hits in one day,” says Douglas Schwartz, Media Director for the North American Eagle team.
“With Ed Shadle and North American Eagle ready to attempt the record this year, Andy Green (the fastest man on earth) and the Bloodhound SSC ready to attempt the record in 2012-2013, and Rosco McGlashan (the fastest Aussie) and the Aussie Invader 5R ready to attempt the record in 2013-14, World Land Speed Racing will again be in the spotlight of extreme sports racing where it belongs,” Mr. Schwartz continued.
World Land Speed Racing is an expensive sport. All three teams require sponsorships to attempt the record. Information about how companies or organizations can be involved in this historic event should call 800-257-1759 or e-mail doug@sterlingci.com.
Awesome! Who’d have thought that years after the retirement of the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter that it would be returning to attempt to set another speed record, this time on land. So cool!
A jet with the wings cut off is not a car, Breedlove started this trend.
Mickey Thompson’s Challenger and the Summers Brothers Goldenrod were real LSR cars.
two kinds of LSR cars , wheel driven or jet driven,
both have some merit, but not against each other.
Land Speed Record, who says it’s gotta be a car?
This is really exciting!!
And, looking back at what happened to a lot of Starfighters, it’s probably the best idea to keep ’em on the ground 🙂
“Don’t give me an F-104;
she’s faster than Lightning fer shore
But after one pass
there’s no bullets, no gas
Don’t give me an F-104”
from “Give Me Operations”