Tell more about the 3 British contenders.
All three team leaders were in Wendover last month to meet Mike Cook and their US competitors.
Richard Brown - Jet Reaction - rider has been out on to UK airfields, but the British weather has been as poor as that in the USA. So speed progress with the new bike has been slow. Richard has anticipated breaking his own UK record (214 mph) before travelling overseas. This man is the fastest person in the UK on two wheels having ridden the GM3C rocket bike to an average 333mph (one way) and a peak speed of 365 mph in 1999 on Bonneville. I await the usual flaming for this not being a motorbike!
James Toseland - The 52 Express - rider has a trainer bike to learn the skills of controlling a streamliner in a recumbent position. He was of course a Superbike and Moto GPrider. Alex McFadzean and the team are assembling this gas turbine powered machine. Project Manager Robin has given information here and the team need to raise funds for a trip to either South Africa or to the shootout. There is a closeness with the management of Bloodhound SSC, because Robin was on the Thrust SSC team and introduced Richard Noble to the internet; raised sponsorship and set up and ran the Mach1 supporters club for that project (second largest cash sponsor in the late 90's).
Gabriel Uttley - Angelic Bulldog - 2013 has not been an easy year to get this U8 engined bike completed, but when I last met Gabriel he was smiling and is looking forward to 2014. Gabriel has ridden the South African built trainer bike - Motivator - on Verneuk Pan, so knows desert and recumbent riding, but has used conventional bikes when racing on Bonneville. His team need to raise the travel costs once the bike is running.
As Jon knows, these projects and many more are followed by the Speed Record Club -
www.speedrecordclub.com and this time I am not working with any of the these three.
Malcolm Derby, England