British driver Andy Green returning to Bonneville Salt Flats for another land speed record attempt

WENDOVER — Two decades after setting the land speed record for a diesel-powered car — reaching 350 mph and becoming the first and only person to break the sound barrier in a car — British driver Andy Green is returning to the Bonneville Salt Flats this week with his eyes set on another record.

This time, Green will be trying to best his own record and set an official Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile world record while driving British construction equipment manufacturer JCB's hydrogen-powered car on Tuesday.

Just last week, the car set a new record during the Southern California Timing Association's Bonneville Speed Week, recording a speed of 368.347 miles per hour, Bonneville National Inc. Chairman Heather Black told KSL.

"It was amazing to watch," Black said.

Bonneville National Inc. is managing Tuesday's record attempt. The current world land speed record for hydrogen internal combustion engines is 185.5 mph.

"It has been an absolute joy to be back on the salt, racing at Speed Week alongside some incredible teams. The Bonneville Salt Flats are the home of the World Land Speed Record, where racers get to push the boundaries of physics and innovation," Green, a retired Royal Air Force pilot, said after breaking the Southern California Timing Association's speed record last week. "This record has given all of us huge confidence in the car, the team and the quality of the engineering. With our first record in the bag, we're now turning up the power on the engines, aiming to go even faster next week."

The brainchild of JCB, the 32-foot streamliner, dubbed the Hydromax, is powered by two of the company's own production-based hydrogen internal combustion engines, boasting a combined horsepower of 1,600.

Beyond the typical pomp and circumstance expected out of a world-record bid, Tuesday's attempt could serve as a measuring stick and testament to the capability of hydrogen-powered engines.

"Hydrogen and diesel are totally two different classes," Black said. "No one has gone that fast in a hydrogen car yet."

With Green doing test runs Monday, Black said organizers are monitoring the weather ahead of Tuesday's attempt.

"It was windy yesterday, so we're hoping for no wind. There's no rain in the forecast, so it looks to be great. We're excited," Black said.

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