Ultimate Speed: The Fast Life and Extreme Cars of Racing Legend Craig Breedlove [Hardcover]

An L.A. hot-rodder with a high school education, a family to support, and almost no money, Craig Breedlove set out in the late 1950s to do something big: harness the thrust of a jet in a car. With a growing obsession that would cost him his marriage, he started building in his dad’s garage. The car's name was Spirit of America. Through perseverance and endless hard work, Craig completedSpiritand broke the land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats, setting a new mark of 407 mph in 1963. He went on to be the first person to drive 500 and 600 mph, breaking the land speed record five times. In the early 1970s he turned to rockets and set an acceleration record at Bonneville that stands to this day. He built a jet car in the 1990s,Spirit of America–Sonic Arrow, to go head to head against Britain’sThrustSSCto be the first to Mach 1. Craig’s subsequent crash at 675 mph remains the fastest in history. Even today, at the age of eighty, he is going strong with plans for yet anotherSpirit of Americaracer. The ultimate goal: 1,000 mph.

Ultimate Speedis the authorized biography of Craig Breedlove, with a foreword by Craig himself. A candid revelation of one of motorsports' most interesting figures, the book is based primarily on countless hours of interviews with Craig and dozens of people connected to his life.

“Ultimate Speed tells the amazing story of how Craig Breedlove became a household name, setting land speed records in jet- and rocket-powered cars. While he and the records became famous, few have known what was required to hit 400 mph and more to gain entry into the record books. Breedlove was really an explorer, heading off into uncharted and dangerous territory, and this book reveals the exquisite and intimate details of his story.”—Steve Lehto, author ofPreston Tucker and His Battle to Build the Car of TlÄ