I got to see the current world wheel driven land speed record
car based here in Ventura county. This is slowly becoming
the race car capital of the U.S. Performance folks are moving up
from LA.

Several advances made this possible. A short stroke small block Dart/Chev V8 that turns 9200 RPM was one. Formula 1 engine tech. The boost is 40 psi I think but it may be only 40 inches of HG. 386 cubic inches. Dual large turbo chargers.

There is no cooling heat exchanger because the engine runs at full power for less than a minute. That means no cooling drag. The engine is reputed to have 2800 HP running on methanol. There is an ice water inter cooler with a 20 gallon ice water tank.


The record was 409 MPH for about 50 years. Salt conditions have to
be ideal in terms of coefficient of friction and the room to accelerate
must be adequate. In this case it was six miles. This car went 440 MPH and the average of two runs in opposte directions.

The other advance was a 7 speed pneumatically shifted gear box.
The all billet box cost $22,000. This allowed much better acceleration
in the lower speed range... less than 200 MPH. The turbo engine had a very narrow power band so it must be kept on max boost at all times.

Ironically this car started life as a GM 4 cylinder Ecotec race car.
When the V8 was dropped in the chassis deflected so much
the body no longer fit :)

The body has  a diffuser for rear down force.

It made 460 MPH and six miles in less than a minute.

Paul Lamar