CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- Craig
Breedlove will try to become the fastest
man on wheels again next summer.
Breedlove, 63, of Rio Vista, Calif., said
he's seeking Bureau of Land Management
approval to try for the world land speed record
in June or
July 2001 on the Black Rock Desert, 120 miles
north of
Reno.
Breedlove, who last raced his “Spirit of
America” there in
1997, said it probably would be his last chance
to reclaim
the record for the United States.
“We've made some changes since last time ... and
I believe
we can do it,” he told the Nevada Appeal during
an
appearance here Saturday.
Breedlove has held five land speed records since
1962 and
was the first person to reach 400, 500 and 600
mph on land.
But the world mark has been in British hands
since October
1983, when Richard Noble streaked across the
desert at
633.47 mph.
In 1997, Noble protege Andy Green roared across
the
desert to a world record of 763.035 mph - the
first person
to officially break the sound barrier on land.
Under race rules, Breedlove would have to exceed
that by
7.66 mph to reclaim the world record. “But our
goal is 800
(mph),” he said.
Breedlove, who struggled to reach a peak speed
of 636 mph
in 1997, said Spirit of America has been
re-engineered and
rebuilt but the next run still needs to be
financed.
“We're in negotiations with a potential major
co-sponsor
and may know in a few weeks,” he said. “I'm
pretty
confident we'll be able to go back to the Black
Rock next
summer.”
While he plans to be behind the wheel of Spirit
of America
next year, Breedlove is considering recruiting
and training a
back-up driver.
“You know, I applied for my Social Security not
too long
ago. I had rotator cuff surgery on my shoulder
in December
and it takes a year to recover from that,” he
said.
“I want and expect to be in the driver's seat.
But the
important thing is the record, and who's driving
Spirit of
America at the time isn't important except maybe
to my
ego.”
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