Craig Breedlove

[TD]

Met the man while having dinner while spectating at Black Rock in  September 1997.  He was sat one table over.  Described the playa to us as 'spiritual' (don't think it was a pun).   Serious admiration for his initiative and courage yet sorry he didn't have another go.  RIP.

[aircap]

Didn't this little racer survive to be campaigned by The Burkhart Family?

[Stainless1]

Nice article about our hero.

https://www.autoweek.com/racing/more-racing/a43521840/craig-breedlove-first-to-drive-500-600-mph-dies-at-86/?source=nl&utm_source=nl_aut&utm_medium=email&date=040523&utm_campaign=nl31079090&user_email=afcf0c614e7b2de880efd8e0017c0cd82a688d62a38400d7ef74be439ae22377&GID=afcf0c614e7b2de880efd8e0017c0cd82a688d62a38400d7ef74be439ae22377&utm_term=AUT_Autoweek_Racing_Daily_Newsletter_HorL

[edinlr]

I worked in a Corvette shop in Dallas, TX in 1971-72.  One day we got a call to see if we could do some emergency fiberglass work on a racecar.  The guy that showed up was Craig and his Screaming Yellow Zonker race car.  He had a slight dust up at the track and needed some repairs.  I don't remember the exact work, but we glassed it and painted the damage very quickly and he was very appreciative of our Texas hospitality.  His was just one of many racecars we worked on in those days, mostly we had funny cars with blower holes and Vettes that had hit the guard rails.  RIP Craig.

[ack]

https://www.gregwapling.com/hotrod/land-speed-racing-history/land-speed-racing-craig-breedlove.html

[salt nut]

Norman Craig Breedlove, Senior
March 23, 1937 - April 4, 2023

American five-time World Record Setter Norman Craig Breedlove, Senior, 86, the first person to surpass speed marks faster than 400-, 500- and 600- miles per hour, died peacefully in his sleep surrounded by family Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in Rio Vista, CA.

?He was an American treasure,? said wife Yadira Breedlove. ?Our hearts are heavy today letting him go, but we also acknowledge Craig?s courage and bravery seeking motorsports honors for the United States of America. For decades, his deeds touched many, many people around the world.?

Personally, Mrs. Breedlove, aka ?Yadi?, added, ?I shared my life with a wonderful man that I will always admire; he filled me with deep, abiding love. My intelligent, strong, happy, brave, humble husband saw life with great positivity and was always full of so many projects! For 20 years I have known joyful love, complicity, respect, and learned so much by his side. He will forever stay in my heart!?

Son Norman credits his father with demonstrating how to shepherd dreams forward. ?What I admired most about dad was his tenaciousness,? he said. ?He simply would not accept rejection and repeatedly went back to people and companies until he got a ?yes?.

Equally important was his father?s exceptionally high quality of workmanship. ?He built things as if they were pieces of art,? recalled Breedlove junior. ?He taught me to always ?give it my best? reminding me that ?if you are going to build it, build it to last.? The ?Breedlove stamp of approval? endures. ?He taught me to care about what I do,? he added. ?I?m so gonna miss him.?

Breedlove Senior?s humble hunt for speed began in his teens spending four years rebuilding a junk three-window ?34 Ford Coupe. In 1955, at age 18 and without any fanfare, he collected his first time slip on the Bonneville Salt Flats at 152.80MPH in Class Coupe and Sedan.

Inspired deeply by the line from JFK?s ?61 Inauguration Speech ?Ask what you can do for your country? Breedlove put the words into jet-powered action reclaiming world honors for the USA on August 5, 1963, with a 407MPH mark, dethroning Britain?s John Cobb.  It was the first time an American?s name was on top since 1928 when Ray Keech posted a 207.552MPH record driving his ?White Triplex.?

?It was the most patriotic thing I could think of,? Breedlove often recalled. ?I wanted a name every American could be proud of, and ?Spirit of America? seemed like a natural.?

This ushered in years of record-setting swaps with brothers Art Arfons, Tom Green and Walt Arfons driving their ?Green Monster? jet cars.

?Their rivalry made each other,? offered Tim Arfons, son of Breedlove?s long-time rival Art Arfons. ?Without each other I think they might have ended up a historical footnote instead of splashing the front pages of newspapers worldwide.?

Breedlove?s astonishing accomplishments inspired The Beach Boys to include the song ?Spirit of America? as a tribute to him on their 1963 ?Little Deuce Coupe? album. All Breedlove?s jet-powered cars carried the same name through his 60 year-racing career.

Blue Flame rocket car driver Gary Gabelich ended Breedlove?s hold on the absolute World Record when he clocked a 622MPH record in 1970, but it did nothing to weaken their bond. In his 1971 book, "Spirit of America, Winning the World's Land Speed Record", Breedlove inscribed:  ?To Gary, With my admiration and sincere gratitude for your friendship and help. Always.?
Breedlove was voted into Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (1993), Dry Lakes Racing Hall of Fame (1995), International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2000), Automotive Hall of Fame (2009). He also earned life membership in the Bonneville 200MPH Club (1963)

In addition to his wife Yadira, Breedlove is survived by sister Cindy Bowman, children: son Norman Craig (Stacy; daughters Dawn Marie and the late Chris Maureen Breedlove; grandchildren Stephanie Finnegen, Thomas Perry, Liana Perry, Tara Van Wieren, Brook (Breedlove) Hart; and great grandchildren Jacob Thomas, Presley Perry, Parker Perry, Paige Perry, Brenton Hall, Ryan Hart, Wren Hart and godson Luis Portilla Figueroa.
 

Media Contact: ?LandSpeed? Louise Ann Noeth  louise@landspeedproductions.biz

[J79]

He was the first to go both directions for the 400mph record. In 1960 Mickey Thompson was first American at 406mph one direction. British John Cobb was the first at 403mph in 1947 one direction. I may be missing other details but you get the idea.

About 20-30 years ago, he had an open house at his Shop in Rio Vista,  CA about 40 miles East of San Francisco and I toured his Shop.

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0yfGAz3fYExfmz3gPRWjMfT5verTsCgvjrK1ujmEGKYXny9YyQgWSqLXVk9cyqnVZl&id=100064589448044&post_id=100064589448044_pfbid0yfGAz3fYExfmz3gPRWjMfT5verTsCgvjrK1ujmEGKYXny9YyQgWSqLXVk9cyqnVZl&mibextid=Nif5oz

[MAYOMAN]

Betty,
Craig did all of those things. He was an inspiration to all the land speed racers. He opened the door to a new era, thrust-powered land speed records.
Just one correction, Gary Gabelich broke Craig's absolute world land speed record, in 1970, going 630.388 miles per hour in the FIA-timed flying start kilometer. While The Blue Flame's 622 mph mile record lasted 13 years, the kilometer record was not broken for 27 years. Following Craig's 400, 500, and 600 mph colossal achievements, we were challenged to continue the American ownership of the absolute world land speed record. He never stopped in his effort to reclaim the record, but always retained the well-earned honor of his pioneering achievements. We all learned from his successes. Thank you, Craig.

[N72727]

Craig's Yellow Zonker.

[aircap]

Now wearing a different paint scheme as displayed in a private collectors museum in Wichita, KS.

[N72727]

Old thread here :
https://www.landracing.com/forum/index.php?topic=18140.0

[Stainless1]

Finally found one of my Pics from way back.... of course it was a hard copy, taken before digital... but one with my Linda and Craig at the salt...  with the new Shell sponsored Spirit of America... Craig was doing test runs on the salt before an early WoS if I remember correctly.

[PorkPie]

Stainless,

Craig had set up his pits a couple days before the WoS in 1996.
it was actually not test runs....he liked to set the new record at Bonneville to make the place again the fastest on earth.
the idea he had with his wheels/tires was great, but they didn't work at the salt as he hoped....the car was going permanetly sideways....left/right/left....
when one of is dogs was killed in Wendover he packed his stuff and moved to Black Rock where the wheels worked perfect....
and than was this misunderstanding from 1.5 mile which was a 15 mile crosswind and it ends up in his famous 675 mph u-turn....which was the end
of the 96 season for him

[TD]

Another attempt to share these.
Chicago 2014.

[TD]

Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, 2014.   Near four Lotus / STP Type 56 turbine cars  and the 1967 STP / Paxton turbine car.  Lucky day!