The Challenger 2 Team (Image/Twitter – Thompson LSR)
Driving his Challenger II land speed record car, Danny Thompson set a new AA/Streamliner record at the 2018 SCTA Speed Week in Bonneville, UT with a two-run average of 448.757 miles per hour.
In case you were wondering, that makes the Challenger II the fastest piston-powered car in the world. (The record was previously held by George Poteet, piloting the Speed Demon streamliner.)
As part of his averaged runs, Thompson broke 450 mph, notching a 450.909 at the Mile 5 mark.
Danny Thompson is the son of motorsports pioneer Mickey Thompson.
The Challenger II streamliner was actually the senior Thompson’s attempt at a speed record back in 1968. That year’s Speed Week was rained out, and Thompson and the Challenger II never got the chance to run.
The car spent the next several decades in mothballs, up through, and after Mickey Thompson’s murder in 1988.
This is Danny’s timeslip from his second-day run, where he notched 450+ mph on Mile 5. (Image/Twitter – Thompson LSR)
If you’re doing the math, that means the Challenger II streamliner is more than fifty years old—making Danny’s feat that much more impressive.
Our hats are off to Danny and to the entire Challenger II team.
You can read more on the record-breaking runs in this article from Bangshift, and learn more about the Challenger II streamliner on Danny Thompson’s website.
Way to fly.