Breedlove to make another stab at land speed record next summer

Monday, June 26, 2000 | 9:37 a.m.

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."