Boat racer breaks land speed record - 139 MPH - on steam

August 25, 9:15 PMCelebrity Cars ExaminerTom LaPointe

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Charles Burnett III drives the British Steam Car at Rogers Dry Lake on Edwards Air Force Base, Mojave Desert, California to break the land speed record for a steam powered car Tuesday Aug. 25, 2009. British-built steam supercar broke a 103-year-old world land speed record for steam-powered vehicles in the United States (AP Photo/Chris Ison/PA)
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"It was absolutely fantastic I enjoyed every moment of it," Burnett, a Canadian - American who was born in the United Kingdom, is quoted on the British Steam Car Challenge website. "We reached nearly 140mph on the first run. All systems worked perfectly, it was a really good run.

"The second run went even better and we clocked a speed in excess of 150 mph. The car really did handle beautifully. The team has worked extremely hard over the last 10 years and overcome numerous problems. It is a privilege to be involved with such a talented crew, what we have achieved today is a true testament to British engineering, good teamwork and perseverance” CLICK HERE for more details on the steam car that has propane LPG gas heating the water at, and I quote, "23 cups of tea per second".

"The second run went even better and we clocked a speed in excess of 150 mph. The car really did handle beautifully. The team has worked extremely hard over the last 10 years and overcome numerous problems. It is a privilege to be involved with such a talented crew, what we have achieved today is a true testament to British engineering, good teamwork and perseverance” CLICK HERE for more details on the steam car that has propane LPG gas heating the water at, and I quote, "23 cups of tea per second".

The "Stanley Steamer" character in the Disney-Pixar film, Cars, started the fictional
town of Radiator Springs, ostensibly  in or near New Mexico. A REAL Stanley Steamer
held the speed record for more than 100 years.  

Charles Burnett III - FIA recordholder for fastest land speed in steam-powered vehicle.

About Charles Burnett III
Charles was born in the United Kingdom. He had the advantage of having a Canadian mother and an American father. As a triple- national, he inherited a love for travel and all things mechanical from his father, who raced hydroplanes and restored Hudson automobiles.

Charles spent much time growing up near the sound of offshore powerboats racing in Fort Lauderdale.

After completing three years at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and one year at the University of Richmond in Virginia, he competed in drag car and drag boat racing.

His love of technology led him back onto the water and to capture a variety of world records using catamarans and monohulls powered by diesel, petrol and LPG. He was included in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1999 for an offshore water speed record of 137mph.

His passion is to advance environmentally friendly vehicles on land, water and in the air without sacrificing the "fun quotient" and, most importantly, the sales potential. Charles' UK base is in the New Forest, Hampshire, England.