One of my top motorsports heroes anniversary

[Vortex]

"On November 7, 1965, a drag racer from Ohio named Art Arfons sets the land-speed record-an average 576.553 miles per hour-at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. (Record speeds are the average of two runs, one out and one back, across a measured mile.) Arfons drove a jet-powered machine, known as the Green Monster, which he'd built himself out of surplus parts. Between 1964 and 1965-a period that one reporter called "The Bonneville Jet Wars" because so many drivers were competing for the title-Arfons held the land-speed record three different times. He lost it for good on November 15, 1965, when a Californian named Craig Breedlove coaxed his car, the Spirit of America, to an average speed of 600.601 miles per hour."

I remember these glory days of LSR; back then you were basically a Craig Breedlove fan (smart guy, tough, plenty of backiing from Goodyear) or an Art Arfons fan (drag racer, farmer, built LSR cars in his shed, minimal backing from Firestone). Arfons retired from jet cars when he crashed a Green Monster at a Dallas dragstrip and it killed the guy riding along with him; think he did tractor pulls after that. Anyway, I put Arfons right up there with AJ Foyt, the Wood Bros, Bill Elliott, Ed Roth, John Force, Jim Lytle and Mario Andretti.

[Bluerauder]

"On November 7, 1965, a drag racer from Ohio named Art Arfons sets the land-speed record-an average 576.553 miles per hour-at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats.

I remember the 1964-1965 Land Speed Record chase between Craig Breedlove and Art Arfons. And, I remember the Green Monster powered by an F-104 engine.

Later on, I visited the Auto and Technik Museum in Sinsheim, Germany and saw the "Blue Flame" on display. One of the greatest sensations at the Museum Sinsheim is the record breaker “The Blue Flame“, the fastest rocketpropelled surface-craft of all times. On October 7, 1970 the American Gary Gabelich set a fantastic new world record with this hybrid between car and rocket, when he reached an average speed of 1001.671 km/h (621.04 MPH) on the Bonneville salt flats.

[RubberCtyRauder]

My grandparents (now deceased) on my father's side were friends with the Arfons and the neighbors next to them on Pickle Rd. in Akron, Oh. Unfortunatley, it was before my time and my grandfather passed away before I was born. This would have all been in the 1950's

[Blk Mamba]

He drag raced all over Ohio, for many years, (his daughter, and son also) and have seen them many times, (ask about the corn roast). Have also seen him in tractor pulls at different venues.