I need to chime in on the brake citations. . .
Having spent considerable time with the NAE crew and the brake's "inventor" when they were out on Black Rock some years ago, I am steadfastly convinced those magnetic brakes are the best part of tech on the NAE. Brilliant, safe and smart for the application.
We've all disparaged Ed and his crew for taking such a long time to get the absolute record, I often wondered why they bothered sometimes, did they really think they had a chance to unseat Green? Well, I do now. If I have leaned one thing from watching class-level land speed racers at Bonneville it is that they are overflowing with tenacity and patience despite being bereft of dollars and friends in high places. They carry on, against all odds, for years and years and years so that when victory comes the cheers are mixed with abundant tears. The waste gate of emotions trumps the speed achieved because in the end it was always about finishing what they had started, what they thought possible and what they needed to prove to themselves - not others.
I have repeatedly told Ed Shadle I would very much like to champion the NAE cause, but so much time has passed since it began (and I have been there since the start) that I really need to see that car get a number of plus 400MPH runs to feel comfortable the program was still viable. They've done that at Alvord so let's give a round of applause then prod them to get going faster - soon.
How thoroughly wonderful it would be for Andy Green to climb into the Bloodhound in 2015 chasing NAE's absolute WLSR!!!
As for Jessi and ANY reference to a "woman's" record . . ., anyone who knows me understands you are poised for a head-on confrontation trying to advance such utter fecal matter. No car, no ship or aircraft has any clue to its operator's gender, it merely responds to input.
Good input = good results. Poor input= bad results.
It is as simple as that.
Paula Murphy, Betty Skelton and Lee Breedlove are to acknowledged and heralded as pioneers driving jets when women were mostly destined and expected to be "domestic engineers." They all demonstrated that women were capable of so much more. They all recorded benchmark speeds that were, alas, the product of PR stunts by sponsors who did not dare give the gals a real chance to prove their abilities.
Spirit of America Chief Engineer Walt Sheehan was under orders from the Goodyear rep to turn down the engine speed on Lee Breedlove's runs. I know this because Walt told me so years later and thought it would have been so much better if she and Craig would have gone "heads-up". Imagine the headlines if MRS Breedlove beat MR Breedlove at his own game!
Paula, the first woman to earn a fuel license form NHRA, drove Walt Arfon's jet at plus 200MPH speeds - twice -- though more puddles than dry salt and NEVER once wavered in controlling the machine. It was at a time when one was not required to set a record, merely run 2 ways in excess of 200MPH to gain admittance to the Bonneville 200MPH Club. I secured the USAC time slips from Petrali and presented it to the 2Club folks but they came back saying that the rules had changed and Paula wasn't welcome.
Betty had Art Arfons scared silly that something might go wrong despite the lady's undeniable and enviable aviation skills. Art was a great guy, but he was old school and had a hard time with women in race cars during the early 1960's; he also turned down the engine speed until she complained bitterly and he relented. By the way . . . in 1956, Skelton was part of a Dodge-sponsored team that set 395 new speed records at Bonneville, adding to the nine speed and acceleration records that Skelton had set earlier in the year at the Daytona Speed Weeks. And I won't list her numerous aerobatic championships. . .
On a much smaller, insignificant level, early in my automotive journalism career, when a "colleague" would play a gender card my response was to simply out-drive him on the track recording the lowest lap times and highest speeds. If Carroll Shelby was still with us, he would give you an earful about what happened at his test track in SoCal when a Chrysler PR guy tried to make me drive with the "women." Epic.
So let's forget about the gender record thing. Please Ed, please. I asked Rosco McGlashan to to do the same thing years ago. As Dave Petrali officially pointed out, there is no such thing and it demeans those of us who strive to be accomplished drivers by putting in the time, the laps and practice to be smooth, to be fast, to be first.
If Jessi proves she's got the ovaries to wrangle NAE through Mach One, it would be so utterly noble if Ed and Keith gave her the seat. But Jessi, girl, you best EARN it.
I have just returned from a two week UK tour that included a full day of laps on Brands hatch driving a stable of supercars, clinking champagne glasses with Richard Noble and john Ackroyd celebrating their 30th anniversary of the 633MPH Thrust II record at the Coventry Transport Museum then finishing with a full day at the Bloodhound Technical Center getting my fill of what it takes to be serious about going 1,000MPH.
The Brits have what we yanks do not when it comes to the WLSR: desire.
America has all the smarts and parts, but we don't have a "pied piper" like Noble to lead us to high speed glory. If we did, I am certain we could kick their butts.
LandSpeed Louise
