Above these words is a copy of John Pittaway's stunning watercolour of Andy Green and ThrustSSC on the Black Rock Desert as the sun sets over the surrounding mountains. It's a fantastic image, but it might never be taken as a photograph unless the ThrustSSC Team can raise the necessary funds - fast.

The situation is simple. At the time of writing (Tuesday 19th August), the fund raising stands at 37.94% of the total budget required for the Black Rock Campaign. All this has been raised through merchandising, events and small sponsorship deals. There have been no big corporate sponsors this time - leaving a shortfall of £200,000 ($320,000) and 250,000 US gallons of Jet A fuel. The fund raising part is achievable, but no sponsor has been found to supply the invaluable fuel - fuel which is vitally important to get ThrustSSC, the ThrustSSC Team, and the tons of equipment from Stansted, England, to Reno, Nevada, USA in the Antonov 124. The only alternative we have is to pay for it.

It's a heartbreaking situation - after 6 years and 100,000 man-hours of build, after the involvement of more than 230 sponsoring companies, it is possible that ThrustSSC may fall at the final hurdle, and be denied the chance to compete against Craig Breedlove's Spirit of America on the great dried lake bed that is the Black Rock Desert. So how can you do your bit?

We must get the finance to buy the fuel this week, so now it is time to harness the power of the Internet. For over two years we have kept many of you informed about the project in the greatest of detail. We have written report after report, published photograph after photograph. Instead of relaxing in their evenings and weekends, the ThrustSSC Team have committed themselves to making sure that everyone in every country has the chance to feel involved in the Project. The crowning glories of the Web Site have been the two Jordan campaigns, where daily updates and innovative technologies kept everyone informed by the minute.

We have never charged for access to the ThrustSSC Web Site, and we never will - that is not the ThrustSSC philosophy. Nor do we ask for something for nothing. But if our huge Internet readership are not able - or willing - to help out, there will be no Black Rock reporting to be enjoyed.

As stated above, we need 250,000 US gallons of Jet A fuel - at a cost of 50p (80c) a gallon. Break that down into 10,000 lots of 25 gallons and it comes out at £12.50 ($20) a lot. We're asking our regular readers to help ensure that we can continue to tell the story on the Internet by buying those lots. You can do so in a number of ways:

1. Through the online shop - look in the Gifts section
2. By Post - just print off the online form and send it in
3. By Fax - just print off the online form and fax it in
4. By Email - just check out the online form and email us the requested details

In return, we will send you our latest ThrustSSC certificate - the Black Rock 1997 Fuel Certificate. Headed by the image at the top of this page, it includes the text: "This is to certify that ...... made a most generous contribution of 25 US gallons of Jet A fuel to enable the ThrustSSC Team to fly the Antonov 124 from Stansted, England, to Reno, Nevada, USA." Each certificate will be signed by Richard Noble (Project Leader and current World Land Speed Record Holder), Andy Green (ThrustSSC's driver), and Jeremy Davey (ThrustSSC's Webmaster). There are only 10,000 of these certificates, and they will only be available through the Internet.

So that's the bare facts. How much do you want to continue to be entertained by this story?

It's time to stand up and be counted.

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