Betty Skelton – First Lady of Firsts

September 27, 1965 was the big day at Bonneville. Driver Betty Skelton, and car builder Art Arfons and his crew would attempt to set a new land speed record with Art’s Green Monster Cyclops powered by an F-86 Sabre Jet J-47 jet engine. Their first run was disappointingly slow. Skelton, Arfons and the crew put their heads together and made adjustments to the throttle and engine settings, and crossed their fingers. Knowing that a record was at stake, Betty let it all hang out on the return run, clocking a one-way speed of 315.6 mph, good for a new record of 277.62 mph. Betty was now the “Fastest Woman on Earth” and the first woman to drive a wheeled vehicle over 300 mph… read more >