Home of the World's Fastest Electric Car
Driver
Pat
Rummerfield, driver of DWRA's first car, "White Lightning",
is a success story in his own right. Struggling 
back
from a crippling accident that left him a quadriplegic two decades ago,
the 43 year-old driver has overcome the odds of never walking again to pilot "White Lightning" in its world record
speed run.
After years of painful therapy, Rummerfield not only drives a race car, but competed in, and finished the prestigious Ironman Triathlon in 1992. The ultradistance race consists of a 4.2 mile swim, 110-mile bicycle ride and 26.2 mile run. He has also completed the Antarctic Marathon, perhaps one of the toughest races ever organized, and the Los Angeles Marathon in March of 2000.
A graduate of University of California Medical School, Rummerfield works as a performance assessment coordinator for the Injury Prevention Program at Washington University's School of Medicine.
Rummerfield is also Co-Founder of The NextSteps Foundation, a non-profit organization created to help in the prevention, treatment and cure of paralysis.
Rummerfield drove "White Lightning" to a one-way speed of 254.229 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in October of 1999.
Rummerfield has been the recipient of numerous awards, including ESPN's prestigious ARETE award for courage and excellence in sports. Past recipients include Hank Aron, Mario Andretti and Muhammad Ali, just to name a few.
Rummerfield
and DWRA are planning their return to Bonneville to establish a new world
record in an electric vehicle.
Rummerfield prepares for Bonneville practice run.
Send mail to DWRA with questions or comments about this web site.
Photo's by Bill McMillan
Copyright © 1999-2001 Dempsey's World Record Associates Inc.
Last modified: December 29, 2003