Thrust SSC News From Al Jafr (5) - Saturday 27th July 1996
by Andrew Noble
(Off-Road vehicle in Jafr Desert)
Where is Your Car?:This is the question that everyone in Jordan is asking... "When will it come?". There is a
high level of excitement in Jordan following TV and newspaper articles. They can not wait, 20 people have already booked for the Royal
Wing’s flight to Al Jafr for the event, even before any dates have been announced.
On Friday, the hold day of the Arabic week, the SSC Team were invited by the Jordan R.A.C. Club to watch part of an off-road rally
they were organising, in a very remote hilly area between Madaba and the Dead Sea. There were one or two Bedouin camps with goatherds.
The R.A.C.J. personnel explained what was about to happen to the surprised goatherds, who immediately asked them if they were anything
to do with that supersonic car?!
Jordanian Sponsorship:
Several major Jordanian companies have shown interest in sponsoring or being involved in the SSC Project which is certainly
capturing the imagination of all here. We hope to make a real
Anglo-Jordan project!
Track Preparation At Al Jafr:Having made great progress in the white lines, on Tuesday morning even achieving 50 ½ mile
lines, the marking team were stood down for the Jordanian weekend, Thursday/Friday. The driver for the white lines, being forced to
wear an eye patch and drive with one eye to avoid parallax, also needed to rest his eyes. Work starts again at 5.00am tomorrow and
three more days work is expected.
The spectator area is now enclosed, and the Timekeepers and Press Caravans and Spectator Tents will be put in at the last moment
before the car arrives.
F.O.D. removal continues.
SSC Team And Car’s Arrival:Currently seven TV companies are sending crews to Al Jafr to cover the arrival of the Antonov,
the Team and the car. They will come to Al Jafr during the day, film out on the desert before the plane’s arrival, and then cover the
Team’s welcome from General Mamoun, the Base Commander, the opening of the Antonov’s nose door, and the car and team vehicles coming
onto Jordan’s soil. The TV crews will leave and the serious work of unloading the 70 tons of equipment into our hangar will begin. The
Antonov’s Russian crew will stay over on base overnight before an early departure next day.
