page_title: Gary Gabelich
section_title: Land speed record
hierarchical_section_title: Gary Gabelich / Career / Land speed record
caption_attribution_description: Goodwood Festival of Speed 2007 - world speed record cars, front: "The Blue Flame", rear: "Flatfire" (amber), "Pumpkin Seed" (blue/white)
context_page_description: Gary Gabelich was an American motorsport driver who set the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile Land Speed Record with the rocket car Blue Flame on October 23, 1970, on a dry lake bed at Bonneville Salt Flats near Wendover, Utah.
context_section_description: Gabelich broke the LSR by achieving average speeds of 622.407 mph (1,001.667 km/h) over a flying mile and 630.388 mph (1,014.511 km/h) over a flying kilometer.  The thrust used during this attempt was between 13,000 pounds (58,000 newtons) and 15,000 pounds (67,000 newtons). A top speed of approximately 650 mph (1,050 km/h) was momentarily attained during one run.
  The FIA rules dictate that a land speed mark is recognized only after two runs through the FIA measured kilometer and mile courses. The two corresponding speeds are then averaged for the official time and speed. Additionally both runs must be made within one hour.
  Gabelich averaged 629.412 mph (1,013 km/h) on his first run and 631.367 mph (1,016 km/h) on his second run for an average speed of 630.388 mph (1,015 km/h) establishing a new kilometer FIA LSR. The mile FIA LSR was the first exceeding 1,000 km/h (621 mph) and remained unbeaten until 1983, when Richard Noble broke it driving Thrust 2. The faster kilometer FIA LSR remained unbroken for 27 years when ThrustSSC went supersonic in 1997.
caption: The Blue Flame LSR car
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