TV's Jesse James fraudulently claims besting BMW's FIA ratified world record

[velocity]

TV's Jesse James fraudulently claims besting BMW's FIA ratified hydrogen-powered World Record Speed Record

Cable TV personality Jesse James claims he set the world record for hydrogen-powered vehicles on June 16th on the southern California El Mirage dry lake.

The claim is without merit since the activities were conducted without benefit of any motorsports sanctioning authority. The vehicle was neither inspected, nor certified and all the timing personnel were on the James TV payroll.

World speed records require two runs over a one-mile course within one hour. James was 5,148 feet short -- being timed one-way for a total of 132 feet; he made only three or four passes over an eight to ten-hour period. Any world record holder will tell you it’s quite a technical feat to hold speed for a full mile.

The baseless speed stunt was reportedly for "the season-ending episode of James's TV show, Jesse James is a Dead Man." The episode is set to air in early August.

James claims to have bested the FIA ratified BMW HR2 record of 185 mph. The BMW HR2 race car set 9 international and FIA-ratified land-speed records for hydrogen cars at the Miramas Proving Grounds in France. The BMW HR2 is one of the few hydrogen cars developed with internal combustion engine (ICE) technology instead of fuel cell technology.

Mr. James efforts count for absolutely nothing on the world motorsports stage and amount to little more than a self-promoting “TV racer” PR stunt since he chose to ignore the sport's sanctioning rules that have applied to all records certified for the past 80 years.

When contacted to explain the fraudulent claim, James responded with a short crude retort that reminded this writer that vulgarity is indeed the refuge of a destitute mind.

[John Noonan]

Who are you?..what do you race?  Where are you from?  Why are you hatin on Sandra's hubby..?

[Calkins]

Who are you?..what do you race?  Where are you from?  Why are you hatin on Sandra's hubby..?

[Stan Back]

Land Speed Louise

[McRat]

Badmouthing another racer never comes off well, especially in a motorsport with a high incident of casualities.

FIA records, you pay for the timing as well, IIRC.

But going 199 at Elmo is pretty fast no matter how you look at it, and is REALLY fast using hydrogen as fuel.

Informal records get a lot of folk pretty aggitated, but they have weight sometimes, at least for the ones who aim for them.

World's fastest man isn't actually a record, since there were no timing lights available, but 25,000+ mph was pretty fast for the Apollo crews.

While I'm not famous, I specifically targeted an informal record when I started out racing our truck, which was ~163mph;  "World's fastest production diesel truck".  And yup, I catch flak for making that claim.  Not from the guy who held it, who congratulated me, but mostly from non-racers.

Best course of action is perhaps to just to either say Congrats, or bite your tongue, unless you also claim that same informal record.

[panic]

James responded with a short crude retort that reminded this writer that vulgarity is indeed the refuge of a destitute mind.

That speaker who first resorts to personal attack or vulgarity does so because the failure of his principal argument is apparent, and is thereby effectively defeated.

[panic]

you pay for the timing as well

And I'll pay for my record with the proceeds of my TV deal.
We all have one, don't we?

[McRat]

I'll admit it seems unfair that folk who spend decades aiming at their goal often never get "press" when they finally achieve them, yet a public personality can do pretty much anything and get national acclaim instantly.  But who is audience for each?  The hardcore LSR folk get the respect of their peers.  The TV show personality gets respect in People Magazine. 

No, I'm not a member of the JJ fan club, I really don't know him, and in his TV stuff he comes off as an ahole, IMO.  I'm told he is far different in person, dunno.

But throw out the personalities, these are hotrod cars and racers driving them.  Going 199 at Elmo no matter how you do it is pretty dang fast.  It's a fast car, and the driver did it without mishap.

[Tom Bryant]

It is interesting what you can get praised on TV. I have seen people or teams that get wonderful press when they fail to reach their goal. We were covered a couple of years ago by a TV team only to fail miserably, breaking parts and such. We were attempting to get the car running well enough to put Mary in the car, but didn't. I am happy that they didn't produce the failure, but maybe it would be good to reveal to the TV audience how difficult it can be to set a record. As far as the J.J. is concerned, I can't understand why Hydrogen is such a poor fuel. Our car is about half the cubic inches, normally aspirated and to me it is miserable to go less than 200 mph on the lake bed.

[McRat]

I'm certainly no chemist, but here's how I understand it.  While lb for lb, hydrogen releases more energy than other fuels, you aren't putting it in the engine by weight, but by volume.  Going by that, even propane is 8 times more punch than hydrogen.  This is why diesel on paper makes less power, but in reality makes more power, than gasoline.

Nitromethane is actually pretty weak lb for lb, but it makes some really good power.

Thinking of hydrogen as a "clean" fuel is a bit scetchy.  Commercial hydrogen comes from refining petroleum IIRC.  Sure it burns clean, but what happened to the all the carbon that used to be attached to it?  It still gets burned, so the net outcome isn't much different than just burning the gasoline to begin with, it just moves the tailpipe.

[High Gear]

McRat

I have agreed with most verything you have said in the past. But I bet if after you set an official record and then along comes someone making a claim that they have bettered you without the same constraints you will not be quiet.

Historical accuracy is what this is all about.

Respectfully,

Gary

[McRat]

McRat

I have agreed with most verything you have said in the past. But I bet if after you set an official record and then along comes someone making a claim that they have bettered you without the same constraints you will not be quiet.

Historical accuracy is what this is all about.

Respectfully,

Gary

Nothing that JJ and his team says will pull that FIA cert off the wall at BMW(?).  While they did go faster, BMW has the hardware. 

 To a minor extent, we have something going on the diesel hotrod community in the same vein.  Two trucks claim to be the fastest diesel pickup.  Banks holds FIA, SPAL holds SCTA-BNI.  Who is right?  Depends on who you ask:  Both, One, or neither.  Neither were diesel pickups when sold, and each one holds a different record which says they are the fastest.  But both were solid efforts by true hotrdders.

[jl222]

  Darn I can't think of the guy [a professor from Colorado I believe] who used to run a hydrogen car at Bville and MAKE HIS OWN FROM THE SALT WHILE THERE!

  Was it Ben Jordon?  I talked to him on the phone years ago and I believe he said they had to set the spark timing about top dead center because it ignited so fast.

                 JL222

[McRat]

Hydrogen can be made from water by just passing a bunch of electricity through it.  If you start with hydro-electric power or nuclear power, and used water to make it, it would truly be a green fuel, but as I understand it, that's not the way it's made commercially.  Too inefficient.

Sidebar -

Everytime fuel prices skyrocket, a hundred snake-oil salesmen pop up with Hydrogen Generator systems to plug into your car/truck and increase your mileage up to 50%.  They take battery electricity, and make a miniscule amount of hydrogen and feed it into the intake.  Uh... how did they generate the electricity?  By burning fuel.  It's a net loss, not gain.  But thousands fall for it everytime.

[sockjohn]

Thinking of hydrogen as a "clean" fuel is a bit scetchy.  Commercial hydrogen comes from refining petroleum IIRC.  Sure it burns clean, but what happened to the all the carbon that used to be attached to it?  It still gets burned, so the net outcome isn't much different than just burning the gasoline to begin with, it just moves the tailpipe.

Most hydrogen is made from natural gas.

Why there is so much hype about hydrogen as a fuel and not natural gas is beyond, me but I guess you don't get grants to research a fuel that is already used for vehicles.