Editing Craig Breedlove (section)

==Land vehicle speed records==
In 1962,<ref name="Twite">{{cite book|last=Twite |first=Mike |chapter=Breedlove: Towards the sound barrier |title=World of Automobiles, Volume 2 |publisher=Orbis Publishing |page=231 |year=1974 |isbn=9781199229595}}</ref> he made his first attempt, in a freewheeling [[Motorized tricycle|tricycle]] (ignoring [[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile|FIA]] rules requiring four wheels, at least two driven; in the event, [[Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme|FIM]] happily accepted it)<ref name="Twite"/> powered by a [[General Electric J47]] turbojet engine.<ref name="Twite"/> On August 5, 1963, this first ''Spirit'' made its first record attempt, using just 90% of available thrust to reach {{convert|388.47|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} over the measured mile.<ref name="Twite"/> The return pass, on 95% power,<ref name="Twite"/> turned up a two-way average of {{convert|407.45|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Twite"/> ''Spirit of America'' was so light on the ground that it did not even need to change tires afterward.<ref name="Twite"/>

For 1964, Breedlove faced competition from [[Walt Arfons]]' ''[[Wingfoot Express]]'' (piloted by [[Tom Green (designer)|Tom Green]]),<ref name="Twite"/> as well as from brother [[Art Arfons]] in his four-wheel, FIA-legal [[Green Monster (automobile)|''Green Monster'']].<ref name="Twite"/> With more engine power, Breedlove upped the record to {{convert|468.72|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} "[w]ith almost insolent ease",<ref name="Twite"/> then to {{convert|526.28|mph|km/h|abbr=on}},<ref name="Twite"/> making him the first man to exceed {{convert|500|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Twite"/> This pass was not without incident, however, for one of his [[drogue parachute]]'s shroud lines parted, and ''Spirit of America'' ran on for {{convert|5|mi|km|abbr=on}} before hitting a telegraph pole and coming to rest in a lake.<ref name="Twite"/> This record stood all of twelve days before ''Green Monster'' broke it, recording a two-run average of {{convert|536.71|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Twite"/>

In response, Breedlove built an FIA-legal four-wheeler, [[Spirit of America (automobile)#Spirit of America - Sonic I|''Sonic I'']], powered by a {{convert|15000|lbf|kN|abbr=on}} [[General Electric J79|J79]] turbojet.<ref name="Twite"/><ref>{{cite book |title=Guinness Book of World Records 1979 |quote=The car was powered by a General Electric J79 GE-3 jet engine, developing 15000 lbs. static thrust at sea level. |page= [https://archive.org/details/guinnessbookofwo0000mcwh/page/296 296] |first=Ross |last=McWhirter |year=1978 |publisher=Sterling Publishing |isbn=9780806901305 |url= https://archive.org/details/guinnessbookofwo0000mcwh/page/296 |url-access=registration}}</ref> November 2, 1965, Breedlove entered the FIA record book with a two-run average of {{convert|555.483|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Twite"/> This lasted even less time than before, for ''Green Monster'' came back five days later at {{convert|576.553|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Twite"/> On November 15, Breedlove responded with a {{convert|600.601|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} record (after turning in an amazing {{convert|608.201|mph|km/h|abbr=on}} return pass),<ref name="Twite"/> which held until 1970.<ref name="Twite"/> (It would be broken by [[Gary Gabelich]]'s [[Blue Flame (car)|''Blue Flame'']], which reached {{convert|630.388|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}.)<ref name="Twite"/> To take the record back, Breedlove planned a supersonic rocket car, "complete with ejector seat."<ref name="Twite"/> Also in 1965, Breedlove's wife, [[Lee Breedlove]], took the seat in ''Sonic 1'', making four passes and achieving {{convert|308.506|mph|km/h|abbr=on}},<ref name="Twite"/> making her the fastest woman alive, and making them the fastest couple, which they remain.<ref name="Twite"/> According to the author [[Rachel Kushner]], Craig had talked Lee into taking the car out for a record attempt to monopolize the [[Bonneville Salt Flats|salt flats]] for the day and block one of his competitors from making a record attempt.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/07/books/rachel-kushner-author-of-the-flamethrowers.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1& |title= Knowingly Navigating the Unknown |first=Maria |last=Russo |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 6, 2013 |accessdate=June 14, 2014}}</ref>

During 1968, [[Lynn Garrison]], President of Craig Breedlove & Associates, started to package a deal that saw Utah's Governor, [[Calvin Rampton]], provide a hangar facility for the construction of a supersonic car. [[Bill Lear]], of Learjet fame, was to provide support, along with his friend [[Art Linkletter]]. [[Playboy]] magazine hoped to have the car painted black, with a white bunny on the rudder. TRW was supplying a lunar lander rocket motor. A change in public interest saw the concept shelved for some time. They also negotiated for the use of the late [[Donald Campbell]]'s wheel-driven ''[[Bluebird CN7]]'' record-breaker.<ref>{{cite web |first=Jerry |last=Kirshenbaum |url= http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1083549/3/index.htm |title=Craig Breedlove is the undisputed champion of a sport |date=April 27, 1970 |website=[[Sports Illustrated]] |access-date=June 14, 2014 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090504111627/http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1083549/3/index.htm |archive-date=May 4, 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Model of Donald Campbell Bluebird used in Breedlove promotion.png|thumb|[[Lynn Garrison]], as President of Craig Breedlove & Associates, obtained permission to use Bluebird on the Utah Salt Flats. This model was used in publicity]]

After a lengthy break from world records and making his name as a real estate agent, Breedlove began work on a new Spirit in 1992, eventually named ''[[Spirit of America (automobile)#Spirit of America - Formula Shell LSRV|Spirit of America Formula Shell LSRV]]''. The vehicle is 44&nbsp;ft. 10 in. long, 8&nbsp;ft. 4 in. wide, and 5&nbsp;ft. 10 in. high (13.67 m by 2.54 m by 1.78 m) and weighs {{convert|9000|lb|kg|0|abbr=on}}, construction is on a steel tube or [[space frame]] with an [[aluminium]] skin body. The engine is the same as in the second Spirit, a J79, but it is modified to burn [[unleaded gasoline]] and generates a maximum thrust of 22,650 [[lbf]] (100.75 [[kilonewton|kN]]).<ref>{{cite web |last=Vaughn |first=Mark |date=May 7, 2014 |title=Breedlove's Back! |url= http://autoweek.com/news/a1895431/breedloves-back/ |access-date=April 6, 2023 |work=Autoweek}}</ref>

The second run of the vehicle on October 28, 1996, in the [[Black Rock Desert]], [[Nevada]], ended in a crash at around {{convert|675|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Craig Breedlove laying plans for new land speed record attempt |url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2014/06/05/craig-breedlove-laying-plans-for-new-land-speed-record-attempt |first=Kurt |last=Ernst |date=May 6, 2014 |work=Hemmings |access-date=April 8, 2023}}</ref> Returning in 1997, the vehicle badly damaged the engine on an early run and when the British [[ThrustSSC]] managed over {{convert|700|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}, the re-engined Spirit could do no better than {{convert|676|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}. Breedlove believed the vehicle was capable of exceeding {{convert|800|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}}, but was never tested.<ref>{{cite news |last=Heiler |first=Fred |date=May 11, 2012 |title=A Man With an Irresistible Urge to Run Wide Open |newspaper=The New York Times |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/automobiles/a-man-with-an-irresistible-urge-to-run-wide-open.html |access-date=April 6, 2023}}</ref>

In late 2006, Breedlove sold the car to [[Steve Fossett]], who planned to attempt the land speed record in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.landracing.com/index.php/2-news-and-articles/news/86-steve-fossetts-jet-powered-land-speed-record-challenger-nears-completion-at-nevada-base |title=Steve Fossett's Jet-Powered Land Speed Record Challenger Nears Completion at Nevada Base |date=July 12, 2007 |website=landracing.com |accessdate=April 8, 2023}}</ref> Fossett died in a plane crash in 2007, and the car was put up for sale.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/14/steve-fossetts-land-speed-racer-is-up-for-sale/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0 |title=Steve Fossett's Land Speed Racer Is Up for Sale |first=Richard S. |last=Chang |date=October 14, 2010 |newspaper=The New York Times |accessdate=June 14, 2014}}</ref> Breedlove's vehicle, renamed the "Sonic Arrow", was rolled out on the Black Rock Desert for a photo opportunity on October 15, 2007. The car is now on permanent display in the [[Wings Over the Rockies Air and Space Museum]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Spirit of America – Sonic Arrow |work=Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum |url= https://wingsmuseum.org/exhibits/spirit-of-america-sonic-arrow/ |access-date=April 8, 2023}}</ref>