Art Arfons

Arthur Eugene "Art " Arfons ( born February 3, 1926 in Akron, Ohio; † December 3, 2007 ) was an American Dragster and Powerboat racer, Tractorpuller and triple land speed record holder.

In the years 1964 and 1965 Arfons improved on the Bonneville Flats in the Great Salt Desert three times the land speed record with his Green Monster said special vehicle. Arfons built and designed his cars, boats and tractors largely self along with his half brother Walt Arfons ( 1916-2013 ). This had mostly a jet engine.

The first Green Monster in 1952 was a three-wheeled dragster, powered by a six-cylinder engine Oldsmobile - painted with green tractor paint. From vehicle number 3 green was no longer the dominant color, the name remained. When the brothers with the original Green Monster competed for the first time, the announcer said, "Okay folks here it comes, The Green Monster". The vehicle reached only 137 km / h

Green Monster Number 2 was a 6 -meter six-wheeled vehicle powered by an Allison aircraft engine with 2,000 hp. This time was the maximum speed of 435 km / h, with an initial speed of 225 km / h after eight seconds. Green Monster Number 6 was the first dragster, the (241 km / h) broke the mark of 150 mph on the quarter mile. With Green Monster Number 11, Arts favorites, they reached 191 mph, beating Don Garlits so. Then the Arfons brothers parted as dragster driver.

The most famous Green Monster was powered by an up to 17000 HP carrying jet engine of the type General Electric J79, which came from a jet fighter of the type Starfighter. Art had purchased the engine for 600 USD from a scrap dealer. When he had it fixed for a boost test to trees in his garden, the neighbors complained. The car won 1964/65 three times the land speed record with 434, 536 and 576 mph at Bonneville in 1966 it reached only an average of 554 mph in the seventh round saw a frozen ball bearings at 610 mph ( 982 km / h ) for a crash. He subsequently established a new Green Monster, but that he sold to a California Farmer. In 1989 he joined Bonneville with Green Monster at number 27.