Andy,
we're in good company. A pic of John Cobb's car in a school book when I was 5 got me hooked. Craig Breedlove, Art Arfons and Richard Noble all say that Cobb was the man who did it for them as well. Right back at the start of the ThrustSSC project, Art came to see the chassis being built in the UK and we did a bit of a tour for him. A real highlight for him was taking him to meet John Cobb's widow.
Robin