Nolan White

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Nolan White (died October 20, 2002) was the first person to drive a wheel powered piston engined vehicle in excess of 400 MPH. He broke the 400 MPH barrier at the Bonneville Salt Flats in September 1990.

Nolan died on October 20 2002 at the age of 71 in Salt Lake City after being injured in an accident at the speed flats when his parachute failed after clocking a one mile run at 422 MPH.

There is inaccuracy in the above statement as to who was the first to drive a wheel powered piston engine vehicle in excess of 400 MPH. On September 9, 1960 (30 years before Nolan did it) Mickey Thompson, driving the "Challenger" averaged 406.60 MPH in the mile and 409.09 mph in the kilo. The car was powered by four supercharged Pontiac engines. It was not an official record as he was unable to complete the required return run.

On November 12, 1965, Bob Summers driving the "Goldenrod" averaged 409.695 in the kilometer and 409.277 mph in the mile. These speeds were the average of the required two direction run completed with one hour. The "Goldenrod" was powered by four naturally aspirated Chrysler Hemi engines. This car was just recently restored and now resides in the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.