SPEED-HEROES:
Cars & Records
The passion, the courage, the daring of projects pushing the limits of technology.
The history of speed records on four wheels is all about extraordinary cas and even more
exceptional men broughts together in one of the greatest challenges of all:
the race to be the fastest on earth and, in so doing, take their place in a corner of inmortality.
To these brief but oustanding moments Victrace Retro Media dedicates an entire year
of puctures and emotions.
In forefront, the five fastest cars from the thirties till now, pictured with their drivers
at the very moment the became unforgettable winners.
Last but not least came the THRUST SCC, that car that, in 1997,
attempted to break the sound barrier and the world landspeed record.
After a series of records Sir Malcolm Campbell reached a speed of 480 km / h
on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. It was 3 September 1935
and the event made history, along with the car's legendary Bluebird,
which name from the title of a play Maeterlinck
16 September 1947 John Cobb claimed the absolute world land
speed record with an average speed of over 634 km /h on the beach
in Daytona.This record would remain unbeaten.
The car was the Railton Mobil Special iced Napier
and had two engines and a body of special alloy allumium
As part of a dystany speed heroes, Donald Campbell followed in the
footsteps of his father, Malcolm, and became part of the legend of
speed records. After a series of unfortunate attemps from which
he miraculously escaped unharmed, on 17 july 1964, Lake Eyre Australia,
aboard the new turbine powered bluebird,
he achieved a speed of over 690 km/h.
A Historic name, The Spirit of America, for a car which took the next
land speed record to the limit of almost 1000 km/h,
shooting across the Bonneville salt flats at 9996,901 km/h.
It was on 25 November 1965.
The pilot Craig Breedlove and, thanks to this achivement,
he would remain, for a very long time, the fastest man on four wheels.
Record breaking vehicles have now to do wit he the automobile.
Metal wheels and jet engine for the Budweiser Rocket in which the pilot,
Stan Barrett claimed to have exceeded the speed of
1190 km/h on 17 december 1979,
This attempt has, however, not been recognized as an official record.
The challenge continues. TheThrust SCC, a Britisch vehicle equipped with
two Rolls Royce jet engines and special SKF bearings,
has tried to be the first to break the supersonic barrier and beat
the world land speed record corrently held by richard Noble
who achieved a speed of 1119 km/h with its Thrust 2 in 1983.
After several low speed tests, the record breaking attempt
was made. The speed was impressive: 1360 km.h
(Source: SKF Industry)