Arfons, Art
Name/Title
Arfons, ArtEntry/Object ID
2025.1.31Description
Art Arfons (born February 3, 1926, in Akron, Ohio; died December 3, 2007, in Springfield Township, Ohio) was one of the most inventive and fearless figures in American motorsport. He first gained prominence in the 1950s as a drag racer, building a series of increasingly powerful machines with his half‑brother Walt—each christened Green Monster. His greatest successes came in the mid‑1960s, when he set the world land‑speed record three times between 1964 and 1965, piloting jet‑powered Green Monsters at the Bonneville Salt Flats. His 1965 run of 576.533 mph briefly made him the fastest man on earth before Craig Breedlove reclaimed the record days later. Arfons suffered several high‑speed crashes and mechanical catastrophes that were inherent to the experimental jet‑car era. Yet his mechanical ingenuity—rooted in his Navy diesel‑mechanic training—kept him at the forefront of extreme-speed engineering. After stepping back from land‑speed attempts, Arfons remained active in motorsport through tractor pulling, designing turbine‑powered machines that carried the Green Monster name into a new arena. He also contributed to racing safety, credited with innovations such as improved roll‑cage concepts and refinements to parachute-braking. Arfons was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2008, underscoring his legacy as a pioneer of jet propulsion in motorsport and one of the last great garage‑born speed innovators.Collection
Simeone - PhotographCategory
Race Car Drivers