{{Short description|American racecar driver}} {{BLP sources|date=December 2025}} '''Charlie Nearburg''' (born September 6, 1950) is a race car driver who broke the wheel-driven land speed record in 2010.

Born in Dallas, Nearburg founded Nearburg Exploration, an oil and gas exploration firm that became one of the largest independent oil and gas explorers in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/articles/blink-eye|title = In the Blink of an Eye}}</ref> He used his profits from his successful business to finance his auto racing career, becoming a long time Toyota Atlantic competitor. In 1997, he drove in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Ferrari 333 SP for Pilot Motorsports and funded three appearances in the CART Champ Car series for Dale Coyne Racing. Coyne is particularly proud of the progress Nearburg made while with the team, stating in a 2004 interview:<ref>Longmuir, Jamie. [http://www.rfmsports.com/CART/Specials/CARTspecials.coyne.html Dale Coyne Racing - turning heads], ''rfm sports'', July 12, 2004</ref> “Charlie Nearburg is an example I love – he was a guy that was older, he was married, he had kids and always wanted to do these races. So he came with us, and did three races, and we pushed him a little bit, but by the time he got to his third race, he was very respectable – and he’s got that to carry with him the rest of his life.” Nearburg retired from professional racing after his Champ Car experience. He is listed as a Ferrari 250 GTO owner.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/119533639/Ferrari-250...;%20style=|title = Ferrari 250 GTO Owners &#124; PDF}}</ref>

In September 2010, driving the ''Spirit of Rett'', Nearburg broke Goldenrod's wheel-driven land speed record at a speed of 414.4&nbsp;mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats using a General Motors racing V-8 engine.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.dallasnews.com/business/headlines/20100921-Highland-Park-racer-sets-land-speed-3098.ece| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121019125937/http://www.dallasnews.com/business/headlines/20100921-Highland-Park-racer-sets-land-speed-3098.ece| archive-date = 2012-10-19| title = Highland Park racer sets land speed record {{!}} Dallas-Fort Worth Business News - News for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News}} </ref>

Nearburg graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas in 1968 and later served on its board of trustees for 20 years. He received degrees from Dartmouth in 1972, 1973, and 1974, the latter two being engineering degrees. He later served on the engineering school's board of overseers. He has also been philanthropically involved in pediatric cancer research, environmental protection, and the arts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://engineering.dartmouth.edu/people/board/members/charles-nearburg|title = Charles e. Nearburg}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/articles/blink-eye|title = In the Blink of an Eye}}</ref>

==Spirit of Rett== {{main|Spirit of Rett}} On September 21, 2010, the ''Spirit of Rett'' made two high-speed runs. The first run averaged 417 MPH with an exit speed of 422.6. The return run, made under more difficult track conditions, averaged 411.7 MPH with a top speed of 417.65. The average speed of approximately 414.4 MPH exceeded the 45 year old Summers brothers’ Goldenrod record. The “Spirit of Rett” now has one of the fastest single engine car record in history.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rett.org/speed/speed.html |title="Spirit of Rett" breaks 45-year old goldenrod record! |website=Rett.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://jalopnik.com/5651357/the-spirit-of-rett-the-worlds-fastest-single-engine-tribute |title=The Spirit Of Rett: The World's Fastest Single-Engine Tribute |date=September 30, 2010 |website=Jalopnik}}</ref>

===Accomplishments=== * Fastest single-engine car record in history 414.316 MPH as of September 21, 2010 (and only 3&nbsp;mph less than the absolute fastest "real car" record of 417.020 MPH held by Tom Burkland) * Fastest normally aspirated car in history (Broke 45-year-old record set by Summer's Bros. "Goldenrod" on Nov 12, 1965) * First and only unblown single-engine car over 400 MPH * First and only car to ever set two over 300 MPH records in one day * First and only car to ever hold all four of the fastest unblown records at Bonneville at the same time A/FS 379.6 MPH, A/GS 353.825 MPH, AA/GS 368.136 MPH, AA/FS 392.503 MPH * First and only car to ever hold the two fastest unblown FIA records at the same time * At the 2011 FIA Landspeed Shootout held in September, the “Spirit of Rett” increased its FIA Category A, Group II, Class 10 record to 366.59 MPH.

== Career results ==

=== American Open-Wheel racing results ===

==== CART ==== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%" !Year !Team !No. !Chassis !Engine !1 !2 !3 !4 !5 !6 !7 !8 !9 !10 !11 !12 !13 !14 !15 !16 !17 !Rank !Points !Ref |- | rowspan="2" |1997 ! rowspan="2" nowrap| Dale Coyne Racing ! rowspan=2| 34 ! nowrap| Lola T97 ! rowspan="2" nowrap| Ford XD |MIA |SRF |LBH |NZR |RIO |STL |MIL |DET |POR | style="background:#EFCFFF;" |CLE<br />{{small|23}} |TOR |MIS | style="background:#FFFFFF;" |MDO<br />{{small|DNS}} |colspan=4| | rowspan="2" style="background:#CFCFFF;" |'''32nd''' | rowspan="2" style="background:#CFCFFF;" |'''0''' ! rowspan=2| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://racing-reference.info/drivdet/nearbch01/1997/R|title=Charlie Nearburg – 1997 CART Results|work=Racing-Reference|publisher=NASCAR Digital Media, LLC|access-date=August 15, 2023}}</ref> |- ! nowrap| Reynard 97i |colspan=13| | style="background:#CFCFFF;"|ROA<br />{{small|17}} |VAN | style="background:#CFCFFF;"|LAG<br />{{small|18}} |FON |}

===24 Hours of Le Mans results=== {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" |- ! Year ! Team ! Co-Drivers ! Car ! Class ! Laps ! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Overall Position}} ! {{Tooltip|Class<br />Pos.|Class Position}} |- ! 1997 |align="left" nowrap| {{flagicon|FRA}} Pilot Racing |align="left" nowrap| {{flagicon|ESP}} Adrián Campos<br />{{flagicon|FRA}} Michel Ferté |align="left" nowrap| Ferrari 333 SP | LMP | 18 | DNF | DNF |}

==See also== *Notable alumni of St. Mark's School of Texas

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== * [https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-inspiration-behind-a-land-speed-record-1462291047 The Wall Street Journal: he Inspiration Behind a Land Speed Record] * [http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20091128-Dallas-oilman-is-powering-up-to-1237.ece Dallas Morning News:Dallas oilman is powering up to break 409-mph record on Bonneville Salt Flats] * [http://dartmouthalumnimagazine.com/articles/blink-eye Dartmouth Alumni Magazine: In The Blink of an Eye] * [http://landspeedevents.com/blog/charles-nearburg-fia-record-414-316-mph/ Land Speed Events: Charles Nearburg, Spirit of Rett, 414.316 MPH] * [http://jalopnik.com/5651357/the-spirit-of-rett-the-worlds-fastest-single-engine-tribute Jalopnik: The Spirit Of Rett: The World's Fastest Single-Engine Tribute] * [http://www.rett.org/speed/GoodGuys.pdf Goodguys: Hot Rod Heroes - Charlie Nearburg] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kNlHVPOqcA Video: Charles Nearburg Breaks 45 year old Record at Bonneville] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6BVckIyrIA Video: Spirit of Rett driver Charles Nearburg at Bonneville 2011] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YPYDsc-VeE Video: Where They Raced - Charlie Nearburg] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8kvCyTJbm4 Video: Spirit of Rett land speed record (down run)] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMWFdQjVEDE Video: THIS CAR MATTERS: 1926 Bugatti Miller V8] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjlc3KxONsM Video: World's Fastest Car: Spirit of Rett World Record at Bonneville Salt Flats] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsNAiL6GSwg Video: Spirit of Rett return run push-off] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I64k2Tg7YZY Video: Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth Alumni Spotlight - Charles Nearburg] * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81kDYTpRmjs Video: Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth Alumni Spotlight - Charles Nearburg on Teamwork] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160509071322/http://engineering.dartmouth.edu/news-events/lecture-series/jones/media/video_large/jones_seminar_2008-05-02.mp4 Video: Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth - Search for Oil and Gas]

{{Dale Coyne Racing}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nearburg, Charlie}} Category:1950 births Category:Champ Car drivers Category:Atlantic Championship drivers Category:Living people Category:24 Hours of Le Mans drivers Category:Trans-Am Series drivers Category:24 Hours of Daytona drivers Category:Racing drivers from Dallas Category:St. Mark's School (Texas) alumni Category:Dartmouth College alumni Category:Dale Coyne Racing drivers Category:12 Hours of Sebring drivers Category:The Racer's Group drivers