Craig Breedlove was an American professional race car driver best known for being a five-time world land speed record holder and for being the first person to set land-speed records at 400, 500 and 600 miles per hour using several turbojet-powered vehicles, all named Spirit of America which he designed and built himself. Breedlove was a former firefighter who turned his love for cars into a successful career. In 1962 he made his first attempt at racing and went on to land speed records in 1963, ... moreCraig Breedlove was an American professional race car driver best known for being a five-time world land speed record holder and for being the first person to set land-speed records at 400, 500 and 600 miles per hour using several turbojet-powered vehicles, all named Spirit of America which he designed and built himself. Breedlove was a former firefighter who turned his love for cars into a successful career. In 1962 he made his first attempt at racing and went on to land speed records in 1963, 1964 and 1965. He was so successful during this time that he became a household name making $100,000 annually from sponsorships and speaking engagements. Breedlove was also put on the payroll at American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1968 to prepare the automaker's pony and high-performance cars. After a lengthy break from world records, Breedlove pursued a career as real estate agent, however in 1992 he began work on a new Spirit, eventually named Spirit of America Formula Shell LSRV. In 1993 Breedlove was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America and in 2000 into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. In 2009, he was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame. He was at one point in time named the fastest man on earth.
