Eagle's Lair
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Classifications

Land speed racing car classes, or groups, are divided into four general categories: Special Construction, Vintage, Modified, and Production. There are general rules for each category and they are related to safety of construction, drivers’ attire, drivers’ qualifications, basic configuration of the vehicle and so on.

The special construction is the pinnacle of the wheel driven straightaway racer’s art. It contains three groups. The Unlimited Streamliners, open wheeled Lakesters, running "blown" and "unblown", gas or fuel engines and the Unlimiteds. These are all-out straightaway vehicles with non-stock engine blocks allowed, and innovation is unlimited. Modified production bodies are forbidden.

The Streamliner class is for the all-out land speed, wheel driven record car. Cars in this class must have four wheels, but they need not be arranged in a rectangular configuration. The design of the body is restricted only to the extent that at least two wheels must be covered.

The Lakester cars are constructed in such a way that there is no streamlining, fairing or covering of the wheels and tires. Tread width is optional so long as no part of the body or axle fairing is wider than the narrowest inner vertical plane of the tires.

Both the Streamliner and Lakester classes are wheel driven, or propelled  through the drive-train to the tires, which turn and push the car along the ground. 

The Unlimited class is a special category for the thrust powered vehicles. They may be propelled with turbo jet, rocket or any other means dreamed up by humans. There is no limitation regarding wheeled power. There are restrictions against using winged surfaces for controlling the vehicle. Winglets can be installed but must be fixed in one position and not controlled by the driver from the cockpit. Cars in this class also require a minimum of four wheels.

Sanctioning Bodies

"USAC" United States Auto Club

"NHRA" National Hot Rod Association

"SCTA" Southern California Timing Association

"FIA" Federation International de Automobile

Race Venues

Please use the "Race Venues" menu link within the main classroom page to read about the various venues available for setting a record on.

FIA History of Land Speed Record Holders - Unlimited Division

The Federation International de L'Automobile (FIA) is the world governing body for motor sport and land speed records.

As you can clearly note, the Unlimited Class of records have increased in the number of years between records being set; especially the last three.

The last American, Gary Gabelich, was over 35 years ago! While the speeds of Gabelich & Noble were very fast, it was the Thrust SSC that took this class to a whole new level; supersonic.

One of the obvious reasons the records between the last three records is that it has become prohibitively expensive to mount a project of this magnitude and sophistication.

However, despite these odds, the NAE™ team is approaching this campaign, not from the angle of having the money and seeing if it can be done, but from the angle of having the vision that it can be done and hoping to acquire the money by proving it is possible to go for the record.

We invite you to add a comment, or remark, about our program or the site.

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