There are times when, despite everybody's best efforts to take things in another direction altogether, a situation occurs which seems entirely appropriate when viewed dispassionately by those not involved. So it seems with the various land speed record attempts taking place in 1997. All the key players involved - the Thrust SSC team, Craig Breedlove's Spirit of America, Australia's Rosco McGlashan and the North American Eagle project have all battled long and hard against almost impossible odds in order to steal a march on each other. No disrespect to the other two teams, but all the accelerated build programs, huge financial risks, long hours and worldwide searches for suitable tracks to provide year round running have all been distilled down to what many had hoped for in the first place - a head to head contest on the Black Rock Desert, Nevada between the Thrust SSC and Spirit of America teams for the title of "Fastest on Earth" and the first car beyond Mach 1.
Those who believe in such things will point to the significance of the anniversary that makes 1997 seem destined to be the year in which it all comes together. 50 years ago Chuck Yeager proved that the Sound Barrier was no such thing in his Bell X-1 rocket plane high above the desert around Edwards Airforce Base. Although the timing provides an attractive piece of historical symmetry, others less romantically inclined will point out that all those involved tend to be driven not only by their own plans but by having to react to the plans of the other competitors. When the field is clear, the pressure is all self inflicted, but when there is somebody out there who could pip you at post, then every effort is redoubled to get there first. Viewed as a sprint by most casual observers, the LSR is actually more akin to an endurance race, with the flying mile being the last leg that brings things to conclusion. It's often said that success is in the details, but for record breaking, it is more accurate to say that success is in hard work and an absolute determination not to be beaten by anybody. But before Black Rock in September there is still the vital testing to be completed in Jordan - oh, and by the way, Rosco McGlashan still aims to spoil the party at Lake Gairdner.
Here is Richard Noble's personal update to tell you why you are such an important part of this story
So, we've pushed the button on a quite extraordinary series of events - and there's no going back now! I'm writing this literally just before I travel up to Stansted to fly to Jordan. True to form, the flight out has been delayed by one day, but nothing can stop us now. Following the unsatisfactory outcome of Jordan last year, we came home with debts and 331mph. The relationship with the media had changed from emotional and instant expectation to a mature association with a long haul project. The ThrustSSC rear steering had to be changed, the teamwork had to improve, the debts paid.
Somehow we did it - somehow with a huge level of graft and struggle we got to a point where we could return to Jordan. Even the last stages have been a struggle with the steering causing problems on the Open Day and the Antonov being delayed first by ours and then by its own technical problems. Only a week ago we had no trucks and ICL wanted its computers back. Out in Jordan the advance party report that the temperatures are much higher than we would like - but the desert is clean and hard and the Mach 1 members have already prepared three tracks.
So now what happens? Well, we don't expect a record in Jordan - the course is short - but we do expect to get ThrustSSC well into the 600's and that'll prove the car, Andy and the team. Then we have to come home quickly - because there's very little time (like 5 weeks ) in which to make the money for the US Campaign. And that's going to cost some - because we need to be out there for six weeks, and the Antonov needs 250,000 gallons of fuel for a start! And being the Away Team means that we have to be absolutely self sufficient.
Over in the US Craig Breedlove is promoting the head to head strongly - so that means that the Spirit of America team believe in it! We certainly do. And when we come back from Jordan we are going to need an enormous amount of help from the Mach 1 Club, which is now the third largest sponsor with a huge logo on the ThrustSSC nose. And that, like the rest of the project, was earned the hard way!
This is now about a Huge Team Effort to get to the US - and it's about Winning when we get there!! You've been fantastic and we look forward to your continued support. We start as soon as we finish in Jordan.
The ThrustSSC project is a fast moving (up to 850mph?) operation and getting up to date information to you has always been a priority. Realistically, the only really fast way of obtaining information up to now has been via the Internet, where our Digital sponsored web site (http://thrustssc.digital.co.uk) carries full operational reports that are updated daily from the Al Jafr desert. We've even gone one better this time and added radio interviews for you to download and listen to, and pictures from 3 webcams updated every 15 minutes - at last you can see what's actually going on.
Of course, many of you don't have the opportunity to "surf the net" and can only rely information from the media. But that's a risky business unless you can afford to buy every newspaper and magazine. Then again, you could do what everybody else seems to do and stand in WH Smiths flicking through magazines to see what's in there. To save you time and a telling off from the paper shop manager, we've set up a telephone information line to provide the latest information on the project's progress. Reports are regularly placed on the telephone message service, outlining the present status of the car, comments from team members, reports of the car's runs and details of future events. These reports can be accessed by anyone with a telephone. For those who really prefer to see something written down, running in parallel with this is a "Fax Back" service. This allows Fax machines to be used to obtain transcripts of the messages on the telephone hotline service. "Fax Back" can be operated by using a Fax machine to dial our Fax system , which then sends a Fax to your Fax machine automatically. For our telephone information service and our Fax back service, we use premium rate telephone numbers, which will cost you 49 pence per minute (don't forget to ask if it's not your phone!). It's got to be cheaper than buying all the newspapers and don't forget that a proportion of this money goes directly into project funds.
We hope you enjoy using this service. The all important numbers to take a note of are:
Wherever Thrust SSC goes you can be sure that there will also be willing Mach 1 Club members in attendance. Thousands of miles away? - sky high temperatures? - nothing but sand and flies for miles? - no problem, nothing keeps the most dedicated Mach 1 Clubbers away. The advance party chosen to get things ready for the arrival of the car left for Jordan on Monday 12th May, a party led by John Lovatt, who as most of you know, is more used to organising Open Days and helping with press events. How would he and the advance party get on? - here's his initial report.
Hi everyone. The first thing to say is that "It's very hot out here" - in excess of 115 degrees on occasions, and with the heat come the flies - and they get everywhere! Such conditions make it very difficult to work in these temperatures, but that's what we're here for, so the only thing is to get on with it.
The daily routine is to get up at about 05:00 for a light breakfast and a cold shower - although not necessarily together! Sometimes the shower is even warm if you get to it before anybody else. A quick trip out to the desert follows, for a morning's track preparation between 06:30 and 11:00. By then, lunch and a break is desperately needed so it's a quick rush back to the houses provided for us on the Al Jafr air base for something to eat and drink and a 10 minute rest. No, we don't get the afternoon off! After lunch it's back to the desert once more for even more "fodding" and track preparation. By 19:00 it's getting dark, so then we really can go back to the base for the evening and get some well deserved rest - until the next moring of course.
Club members Ken Waughman and Bob Ibbetson have been staying in the Amra Palace hotel in Petra, about an hour's drive away, but also camping on the desert from time to time - they must be mad, but then again, Ken remembers this from his time out here is in WW11. Both are working tremendously hard, although there are real signs of Ken "going native" since in addition to the red and white headgear worn by just about everybody, he's gone one step further by acquiring the full flowing white robes. All he needs is a camel now.
A major bonus turned out to be the imminent departure of the USAF personnel from the base - nothing personal chaps! They moved in shortly after we left last year and have spent most of the winter rebuilding and extending the runway at the base. Never ones to go without the comforts of life, they made sure that they were well stocked with food and drink flown in from the US - the remains of which they have kindly donated to us now they're going home. Dee Campbell-Coombe and Ninetta Hearn, who have been working extremely hard preparing the accommodation and food for the whole team, are naturally overjoyed by the additional "rations".
Those who know how serious Americans are about eating will know that these "remains" have provided us with substantial food reserves. Thanks a lot guys!
Although much clearing and surveying had taken place before we got here, the desert tracks were not marked but the ever resourceful and sweet-talking Mike Hearn persuaded many of the Jordanian soldiers to stand in a straight line when the tracks had been cleared in order to mark the completed tracks with the all important white lines for Andy to follow. After spending time here earlier in the month, Andrew Noble (who many of the locals regard as some kind of saint) arrived with the all important consignment of Land-Rovers that had been shipped by sea to Aqaba. At one point, problems with paperwork that customs assured him "would be sorted out any day now" were threatening to force him to tear out the rest of his hair! Thankfully, he and his hair made it in the nick of time - like just before the car arrived in the Antonov. All the hard work has been worth it, since as this is written the car has just completed it's first gentle shakedown run of 130mph. It's early days yet, but everything worked well and the car ran straight and true. Wouldn't you know it, but tomorrow has to be a day off since the RJAF are test firing SAM missiles in the area. At last - something out here that travels faster than Andy!
We are planning a very special edition of our club magazine, Mach 1 News. We will be producing it and getting out to you just as soon after the team return from Al Jafr as we can do it. This edition will continue the story of Jordan, started above by John Lovatt, and bring you right up to date with all the major happenings in Jordan. We intend to include lots of new photographs of the car and team on the desert and will also give you a summary of all the car's runs to date to show what progress has been made.
BTR have kindly agreed to help us produce this edition - and a special thanks goes to them for all their help with the project so far. If you haven't heard of BTR, they are a major international industrial manufacturing company and have Dunlop Aviation and Hawker Energy Products amongst their subsidiary companies. Dunlop Aviation have, of course, supplied ThrustSSC's aluminium wheels, whilst Hawker have supplied the batteries.
After much debate and many different prototypes, we have finally decided on the new Mach 1 Club logo. There are two versions: a black and white one - reproduced here - and a colour version that you'll be able to see in the next edition of Mach 1 News. In fact, to commemorate the outstanding contribution made by the Mach 1 Club towards funding the project, the colour version has taken pride of place on ThrustSSC's nose for all the world to see during the current testing on the Al Jafr desert in Jordan.
The new logo was designed by club member Roger McCann. Roger is one of the Mach 1 Club regulars who can be found at all sorts of odd hours doing the million and one jobs that need doing around the shed at Farnborough. He has done a tremendous job with all the logos on ThrustSSC and the support vehicles.
This bulletin's very special ThrustSSC memento involves the club's new logo. While in Jordan, we will be commissioning an exclusive photograph taken on the Al Jafr desert featuring project director Richard Noble, driver Andy Green and ThrustSSC displaying the club logo. The photograph will be signed by both Richard and Andy and a copy can be yours for only £12.50. You will not find this photograph being offered anywhere else but in this bulletin, so see the back page for details of how to order yours.
We will be holding two Open Days at Farnborough during July for you to come and see ThrustSSC and talk to the team first hand. You will be able to hear the full story of Jordan and see how the preparations for Black Rock are going. Dates for the Open Days are Sunday 6th and Sunday 13th July, cost is £10 each for members and guests. We hope as many of you as possible will be able to make it.
If there's one common theme to all the current LSR projects - and most of the previous ones - then it's money, or more precisely the constant battle to ensure that there's enough to meet the huge bills that seem to arrive in never ending droves. As Richard keeps saying, you cannot stop or the project is dead. You have to commit the funds to whatever needs doing next and then figure out how to pay for it. Somebody once said that the only way to make a small fortune out of motor racing is to start with a large one! Truer words were never spoken than when applied to record breaking. Despite this, all the teams involved are redoubling their efforts.
The outsiders right now have to be the North American Eagle team. Original driver Gary Swenson left the team to pursue other interests and his place has been taken by Les Shockley, driver of a fearsome triple jet-engined drag racing truck - no, I'm not kidding! The team continues to develop the car and are just about to take delivery of some new high speed wheels. Their schedule calls for test runs on the 6,600 foot runway of Hillsboro Airport Oregon, before appearing at a special event at Edwards Airforce Base on October 17-19 to mark the 50th anniversary of Chuck Yeager's first supersonic flight. They need more money to accelerate their program and can only hope that the other three projects don't reach their goals this year.
Although promoting the head to head event very hard, there is very little information coming out of the Spirit of America camp. Interestingly, a report from about a month ago said that most work was now complete with the exception of some parts of the newly designed rear bodywork and wing area - will they have a tailplane as fitted to Thrust is the obvious question? They're also planning some engine tests prior to Black Rock, so we'll know the answer then. Guess what? - just like the ThrustSSC team, they also need more money.
The joker in the pack right now is Rosco McGlashan. If drought stricken areas need rain, forget the local witch doctor or rainman, just send for an LSR team! Unbelievably, after pulling out all the stops to get his car ready to attack the existing record before Andy and Craig had a chance to push it out of sight, Lake Gairdner was visited by the same rain gods that hit Al Jafr. The Annual 'Thunder Down Under' event was cancelled as well as Rosco's attempts, much to the chagrin of a small group of Bonneville racers who'd shipped their cars to Australia for the event. Latest pictures of Aussie Invader show that it has yet another modification to tail, but once the telemetry is fitted on May 21, the car will be ready. The courses will be marked out from May 29 onwards with the actual attempts, weather permitting, pencilled in for end of June, beginning of July. Yet again, funding is an issue, but with sufficient luck to match his endless determination, it could well be that Rosco reaps the rewards for his efforts and that Andy and Craig will begin their head to head from a new base.
Please copy the form below and send to the usual Mach 1 Club address
Name:................................ Membership No:........ Address:.................................. .......................................... Post code:................Tel No:...............
This watch, featuring the ThrustSSC Machmeter dial, has now arrived and is selling well. The cost of the watch is £50, and for an additional £10, you can have it engraved with your Mach 1 Club number. Postage and packing is £2.
Timex watch
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Engraved Timex watch
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(Item now in Thrust Shop)
Also now available is the new Jordan ThrustSSC model, completed in Supersonic Black paint and with the 1997 sponsors logos. This limited edition model costs £18 or £24 signed by Richard and Andy (+ £2 P&P).
unsigned ThrustSSC Jordan 1997 model
(enter number required)
signed ThrustSSC Jordan 1997 model
(enter number required)
(Item now in Thrust Shop)
Signed photograph of Richard, Andy and ThrustSSC in Jordan is £12.50.
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Only a few Jordan2 certificates are left, but they still available, price £12.50 signed by Richard and Andy, or £20 signed by the whole team
Jordan 2 Richard and Andy certificate
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Jordan 2 whole team certificate
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Please reserve ... (enter number) places for the July 6th Open Day
Please reserve ... (enter number) places for the July 13th Open Day
Cost is £10 each for members and guests. Please enclose a stamped addressed envelope for confirmation and instructions.
For all the above offers, please write to the address below. Cheques payable to SSC Programme Ltd. Visa & Mastercard quoting number & expiry date are also accepted.
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