Gary Gabelich (born August 29, 1940, died January 1984) was a Croatian-American who won the land speed record with his rocket powered automobile "Blue Flame" on October 28, 1970, achieving the average speed of 622.287 miles/h (1001.452863 km/h) on dry lake bed at Bonneville Salt Flats in Wendover, Utah. This record was unbeaten until 1983, when Richard Noble broke it driving Thrust 2.
Gabelich died in January 1984 in a motorcycle crash.
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