The Captain America of Land Speed Racing will be honored on October 19th at the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum, Philadelphia, PA.
Craig Breedlove – the first person to exceed 400, 500, and 600 miles-per-hour on land – will receive the fourth annual Simeone Museum’s “Spirit of Competition” Award at a dinner at the Museum on Wednesday, October 19th, 2011. Breedlove will join racing greats Mario Andretti, Janet Guthrie and John Fitch as an Award recipient. He was co-driver of the record-setting Cobra Daytona Coupe, above, on display in the Museum.
Fifty years ago, Breedlove, above, determined to bring the Land Speed Record back to the United States, began building his jet-powered Spirit of America in his father's garage. On August 5th, 1963, he piloted it to a two-way average of over 407 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats, Wendover, UT. A year later, he broke through the 500-mph barrier, but destroyed his car in the process and narrowly escaped serious injury.
He returned in 1965 with a new car, the Sonic I, and went 600.601 mph. He became the first person to exceed 400, 500 and 600 mph on land. Shortly before exceeding 600 mph in November 1965, Breedlove set 23 international speed records – including averaging 150 mph for 12 hours - co-driving the Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe (CSX2287). It is one of the star displays, below, at the Simeone Museum.
For more information about the Spirit of Competition Award dinner and celebration of Craig Breedlove’s Land Speed Record racing accomplishments, please visit, http://simeonemuseum.org/