He was behind the wheel of the British Steam Car Challenge.
The car appears to have broken a more than 100-year-old land speed record.
The car, dubbed the "fastest teakettle in the world," hit a top speed of 151 miles per hour.
It averaged nearly 140 over two mile-long runs at Edwards Air Force Base, in the California desert.
If the run is confirmed, it will beat the official steam car record set by a Stanley Steamer in 1906.
That mark now stands at 127 mph. Burnett's steamer is no lightweight.
It weighs three tons and has 12 boilers to produce all that steam.
