456:, Texas) news reporter, Gene Thomas (age 31), who was a passenger in the vehicle. Arfons' "Super Cyclops" was making its first run of the day in an attempt to pass the 300 mph (480 km/h) mark. Near the end of the run, a tire burst as the parachutes deployed; it veered into a guard rail and crashed beyond the finish line. Thomas, a popular Dallas television reporter, was apparently thrown out of the vehicle when it rolled over. The vehicle was configured with the driver and passenger sitting on each side of a huge engine. Arfons sustained minor injuries. He was taken to
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367:, remains the fastest open cockpit vehicle, recording 330.113 miles per hour (531.265 km/h) in the measured mile in 1962. Unfortunately, his design had the driver sitting directly in the air intake to the engine, so that there was no way to enclose the cockpit and still supply air to the engine; this limited top speed severely. In deference to the car's less-than-excellent
476:, National Tractor Puller Association Hall of Fame, and the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame. He is a three time World Land Speed record holder. He held the Unlimited Drag Racing Record and was a champion Tractor Puller.
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competition where he was, as usual, successful. In 1979 he won his only NTPA championship in the 9200 Modified class. In 1989, however, he attempted to return to land speed record competition, but was never competitive.
400:. He held the world land speed record three times during the closely fought competition of 1964 and 1965, but after a bad crash in 1966 at 610 MPH, the fastest crash ever survived, turned his attention to
448:, Arfons lost control of his radical jet-powered vehicle, resulting in the death of three people. IHRA staff members Robert John Kelsey (age 20) and Sean Pence (age 17) were struck and killed, along with
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432:, named after the aircraft engine in the Anteater, also competed in tractor pulling with her father. His oldest son Ronald Arthur Arfons, died on October 23, 2006, at age 58.
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in rural Ohio, where the Arfons brothers exercised their mechanical skills and ingenuity. After his junior year of high school, at just under 17 years of age, Art joined the
281:, ten years older, who was to become his partner and later competitor in motor sports, and Dale, eight years older, as well as one sister "Lou", eighteen months older.
317:. In this endeavor, they were supported by their mother, who was also fascinated by the sport. Art and Walt continued their drag racing partnership with a series of
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In 1962, Arfons began experimenting with jet-powered cars, where his innate mechanical skills proved tremendously useful. Art's first car, the 8,000 hp (6 MW)
313:. He returned to Ohio, was married, and had two sons and a daughter. In 1952, he and his half-brother Walt became fascinated with drag racing and built their first
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descent, and died in 1983 at age 84. Arfons had two half brothers by his mother —
371:, Arfons introduced another innovation: It was the first land speed record car to utilize a
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piston-engine and jet-engined dragsters. He subsequently went on to field a succession of
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International Drag Racing Hall of Fame (prior to 2005) "Hall of Fame Inductees",
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in Dallas and released shortly afterward. The Dallas event was to be his last race.
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cars until the late 1950s, parting amicably but competing against each other.
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501:, at the age of 81. He was interred at Mt. Peace Cemetery.
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On
October 16, 1971, while making an exhibition run at the
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231:(February 3, 1926 – December 3, 2007) was the world
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and came to the United States at age 14. He settled in
394:Arfons returned to Bonneville in 1964 with another
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51:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
549:"Art Arfons: Land-speed record-breaker (Obituary)"
309:, and then was discharged after three years, as a
574:Dallas-Fort Worth Radio & Television History
241:series of jet-powered cars, after a series of
235:holder three times from 1964 to 1965 with his
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768:United States Navy non-commissioned officers
763:United States Navy personnel of World War II
519:"NASCAR: Six inducted to International Hall"
379:to prevent the car from becoming airborne.
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111:Learn how and when to remove this message
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474:International Motorsports Hall of Fame
329:Arfons' path led almost inevitably to
255:International Motorsports Hall of Fame
265:Art Arfons' father, Tom, was born in
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570:"Profile: WFAA-TV's "News 8 Etc...""
493:Arfons died on December 3, 2007, in
49:adding citations to reliable sources
773:American people of Cherokee descent
633:Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
482:Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
470:Motorsports Hall of Fame of America
442:Dallas International Motor Speedway
525:. December 6, 2007. Archived from
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604:Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing
753:American people of Greek descent
207:Three times holder of the world
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36:needs additional citations for
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778:Sportspeople from Akron, Ohio
758:Sportspeople of Greek descent
257:three days after his death.
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458:Parkland Memorial Hospital
311:Petty Officer Second Class
289:Arfons' family operated a
708:. London: Minerva Press.
480:He was inducted into the
468:He was inducted into the
356:. Arfons sold the car to
748:Racing drivers from Ohio
743:Land speed record people
704:Shapiro, Harvey (1997).
424:and even a jet-powered
649:"Obituary: Art Arfons"
600:"Hall of Fame members"
568:Shannon, Mike (2017).
430:Allison "Dusty" Arfons
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18:American racing driver
667:Motor Sports Memorial
390:Land Speed Record car
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706:Man Against the Salt
680:Akron Beacon Journal
657:. December 15, 2007.
610:on December 12, 2007
495:Springfield Township
345:" and powered by an
229:Arthur Eugene Arfons
169:Springfield Township
137:Arthur Eugene Arfons
45:improve this article
683:. December 4, 2007.
557:. December 5, 2007.
489:Death and interment
426:personal watercraft
675:"Arthur E. Arfons"
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295:United States Navy
715:978-1-85863-898-0
580:on April 23, 2017
529:on August 4, 2011
446:Lewisville, Texas
331:land speed record
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692:Find a Grave
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612:. Retrieved
608:the original
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582:. Retrieved
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531:. Retrieved
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163:(2007-12-03)
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60:"Art Arfons"
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43:Please help
38:verification
35:
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738:2007 deaths
733:1926 births
554:Independent
412:Art's son,
402:jet turbine
375:to produce
279:Walt Arfons
271:Akron, Ohio
220:Walt Arfons
211:(1964–1965)
180:Nationality
151:Akron, Ohio
727:Categories
688:Art Arfons
629:Art Arfons
505:References
418:funny cars
414:Tim Arfons
335:Bonneville
333:racing at
285:Early life
191:Drag racer
188:Occupation
143:1926-02-03
127:Art Arfons
101:March 2021
71:newspapers
654:The Times
377:downforce
339:John Cobb
291:feed mill
222:(brother)
216:Relatives
199:1952–1971
614:June 16,
584:June 16,
484:in 1991.
404:powered
358:Bob Motz
275:Cherokee
183:American
669:. 2012.
631:at the
436:Tragedy
365:Cyclops
307:Okinawa
301:in the
85:scholar
712:
454:Dallas
354:clutch
267:Greece
261:Family
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464:Award
92:JSTOR
78:books
710:ISBN
616:2018
586:2018
535:2007
499:Ohio
450:WFAA
422:ATVs
386:The
373:wing
341:'s "
173:Ohio
158:Died
133:Born
64:news
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