Thursday was always going to be a long day. It began mundanely enough with the packing of bags and loading into the team vehicles for transport to Gerlach, with the aim of being ready for the first deadline at 1000hrs, at which time the Press Conference was held outside the team's hotel in Reno - the Peppermill Casino - with ThrustSSC herself as a backdrop. Richard Noble briefed the Press on the upcoming head-to-head race against Craig Breedlove and the Spirit of America team - followed by the usual questions-and-answers session. Finally all questions had been answered and it was time to get on the road!
A long convoy headed north towards Interstate 80 - with ThrustSSC near the head, it comprised everything from the crew bus to cars, pickups and motorhomes. 30 miles East on I-80 and the sign for Pyramid Lake came into view - the signal to turn off and head north again on state highway 447. For the next 70 miles the road wound its way up into the hills, passing the huge blue lake amid stunning scenery and vast tracts of barren scrubland. Dry lake beds, similar but smaller and wetter then the Black Rock Desert were passed on the way, until finally Empire, then Gerlach hove into view. For many of the waiting media and locals this was their first sight of the huge black jet-car.
ThrustSSC and its Tiltec trailer were parked in a secure compound while the team members took the opportunity to grab and sandwich and coffee before heading for their accommodation. The MAN tractor unit refuelled and headed straight back to Reno - although American and European units use the same type of 'fifth-wheel' coupling, the air-lines for the brake systems are not compatible, necessitating a second trip with the ThrustSSC Team's unit to collect the Pit Station from the airport. Matt Cole joined Jeremy Davey for the trip - to help with any overtaking on the right-hand side of the road - while Andy Green jumped in to ride his motorbike back: it had been accidentally left at the airport too...
Thus by midnight the entire team and their equipment were in Gerlach and settling in. Even on the first night, Bev's Miners Club and Bruno's did an excellent trade...
With the start of running permits approaching rapidly, it was imperative that the 'Pits' be set up as soon as possible, and early on Friday another convoy set out for Access 2 onto the Black Rock Desert. This time the Pit Station was at the head - the car could follow later, but the Honda diesel-generators were essential for erecting the Airesheltas. By early afternoon the unpacking operation was going well, with the inflatable hangar up, the tools being unloaded, and the computers unpacked. Tim Stephens, Bruce Counce and Julio Ortiz from Hughes Network Systems had made their way to Gerlach and quickly set into the task of resolving the incompatibilities of the ThrustSSC Team's European-standard satellite equipment and the American satellite - "Galaxy 4" at 99 degrees West. Needless to say they made light work of it - it was nice to be able to sit back and watch for once!
On Saturday work continued - while across the playa the Spirit of America team prepared for their first run. In the ThrustSSC Pits everyone was mindful of the huge significance of the day back home. Work could not stop for the day, but the team decided to hold a minute's silence at 1100 local time. There would be no drama - no-one outside the team had been informed of what would be a very private moment. Our Princess's funeral had already been held at 1100 in the UK - 0300 in the morning here: at the appointed time the "Aarooogaah" alarm on the Pit Station sounded briefly. Everyone stood in silence, caps in hand in the searing heat. Another blast from the klaxon and work resumed.
Originally scheduled for early in the morning, SoA's run was delayed and delayed until around 1530hrs a plume of dust was seen rising through the haze. Shortly afterwards the engine was stopped again and our competition continued to work against the backdrop of the surrounding hills. About an hour later the plume rose again and Breedlove accelerated past the photographers in 'cherry-pickers' to some 230mph before releasing his single chute.
Today dawned bright and fresh. Optimism was high - everyone was rested and settled in, the car would be ready for action tomorrow, and with no runs planned by either team today, Mike Hearn's fodding team could make a good go at preparing the tracks. Thank goodness there are so few stones here compared to Jordan!
It has been a pretty uneventful day, with work progressing steadily and without fuss. Towards the end of the afternoon Craig Breedlove arrived on his motorbike to check out the opposition - with Richard Noble and Andy Green as his guides he made his first close inspection of ThrustSSC - it would be interesting to know his thoughts now! Andy checked out his car yesterday, but felt that the cockpit was a little too small for him...
Earlier, Operations Manager Martyn Davidson met with Bill Breedlove as he does every afternoon around 1600hrs - with both teams ready to run first thing it was down to a toss of a coin. ThrustSSC won in front of the assembled media - we will go first tomorrow, handing over the desert to Spirit of America by ten. It should be an exciting day! Outside one of the bars in Gerlach is an illuminated sign that reads: "1997 Scores: Americans 227, British 0". That'll have to change...
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