Latest news with #ThrustSSC
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Hindustan Times
Chris Raschke Bonneville crash: Who died during ‘SpeedWeek' event; how fast was Speed Demon going?
Chris Raschke died Sunday after he crashed on the Bonneville Salt Flats, during the "SpeedWeek" event, which takes place each year. Chris Raschke became the first official employee of the Ventura Raceway in the early 80's.( Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), the event organizers, said the 60-year-old was trying to set a new land speed record, when he lost control of the vehicle and crashed. The incident took place around 3 pm. Though medical staff tended to him, Raschke succumbed to his injuries. The Tooele County Sheriff's Office and the SCTA are conducting their own investigations into the matter, Fox 13 reported. Meanwhile, here's a look at who Chris Raschke was and how fast he was going. Who was Chris Raschke? Speed Demon, the team Raschke drove for, says 'Chris Raschke's world is speed. His journey to the cockpit of the record setting Speed Demon streamliner has given him perspective and appreciation for the pioneers of the sport that came before him.' Raschke is a motor sporting legend, and began work at an early age, becoming the first official employee of the Ventura Raceway in the early 80's. He started right at the bottom and learned all one needed to know about keeping a racetrack operating. Simultaneously, he would race ATC 3-wheelers. He later raced his Ford Pinto in the mini stock division too. He helped with custom creations and developed an understanding of what it took to win, Speed Demon said about Chris. Chris went to work for Kenny Duttweiler and Duttweiler Automotive in 1983. Kenny is now the brains behind Speed Demon's power. He learned to work on race cars at this time, while being involved with the Duttweiler's Buick drag racing. While working there, Chris met Steve Watt, the Speed Demon crew chief, who asked him to join them. Chris joined the team at ARP in 1996. He was the Director of Sales and Marketing at ARP, and remained with the Speed Demon team for a good thirteen years. Chris also drove the Wayne Jesel Truck which got him a record and a Red Hat in the 200HMP club. After this, he turned to the Speed Demon dreamliner. His 391 mph top speed during a qualifying run was a prelude to the speeds that Chris and the team were aiming for. How fast was Speed Demon going? While how fast Chris was going is not known yet, he was trying to set a new record. The current best record is 763.035 miles per hour, which also broke the speed of sound. It was set by Andy Green in his ThrustSSC. The Speed Demon team was working on a vehicle that could be run on piston-power and hit the 500 mph mark, Hot Rod reported. George Poteet, who was initially supposed to drive this car died in July 2024 at age 76. This is when Chris came into the picture, and was expected to continue the Speed Demon legacy, until today's fateful crash.
TimesLIVE
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- TimesLIVE
Blue Bird returns to Welsh beach 100 years on from record run
The record now stands at 1227,985km/h, set in 1997 by retired British Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green who thundered across Nevada's Black Rock desert to break the sound barrier on land for the first time with the jet-powered Thrust SSC. The record has stood still this century, though a Bloodhound project is still seeking the funds to hit the 1,609km/h mark with a jet engine and monopropellant rocket working together. An Australian rocket-propelled 'Aussie Invader 5R' project also needs millions. Wales, from a family of record-breakers and whose late uncle Donald died in 1967 at speed on Coniston Water in his Bluebird K7 boat, doubted anything would happen soon. 'You look at the problems that Thrust SSC had getting enough money to do the sound barrier, which again is a magic figure that captures the imagination,' he said. 'A thousand miles an hour, yes, it's a big figure, but it just doesn't seem to have the attraction at the moment.' Wales, whose records were set in a steam-powered vehicle and on a lawnmower, cited the space race and even the ever-increasing popularity of Formula One as possible reasons for waning interest. 'I don't think the appetite is there anymore. At the moment there is no money in record-breaking,' he said. 'The adage of 'if you want to make a small fortune from motorsport, start with a large one' is so true in record-breaking.'
The Star
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Motor racing-Blue Bird returns to Welsh beach 100 years on from record run
LONDON (Reuters) -Pendine Sands, stretching for miles along the coast of south-west Wales, marks a motoring milestone on Monday with the return of a 'Blue Bird' car that captured the world's attention a century ago. On July 21, 1925, Briton Malcolm Campbell became the first person to travel at more than 150 miles per hour on land when he accelerated the mighty 350 hp Sunbeam along the beach to 150.76 mph. The car, with its 18 litre V12 Manitou aero engine, is now owned by the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu and will be fired up at Pendine in a static display without any run being scheduled. Campbell's grandson Don Wales told Reuters the 1925 record triggered a mania for speed. "Everybody wanted to hear about who's got the land speed record and it was sparked, I think, by this record that my grandfather achieved," he said at a commemorative event in London, with the car on display outside. "He was surprised himself by the amount of media attention he was getting from effectively increasing his own record by four miles an hour, but it was that magic mark of 150." While modern sportscars can easily exceed 150mph, and do so on race tracks and Germany's autobahns, the speed was sensational at the time. Campbell had hit 146.16 mph in September 1924 at the same location and in the same car. In 1935, by then knighted for his achievements, he became the first to exceed 300 mph on land at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The record now stands at 763.035mph, set in 1997 by retired British Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green who thundered across Nevada's Black Rock desert to break the sound barrier on land for the first time with the jet-powered Thrust SSC. The record has stood still this century, although a Bloodhound project is still seeking the funds to hit the 1,000mph mark with a jet engine and monopropellant rocket working together. An Australian rocket-propelled 'Aussie Invader 5R' project also needs millions. Wales, from a family of record-breakers and whose late uncle Donald died in 1967 at speed on Coniston Water in his Bluebird K7 boat, doubted anything would happen soon. "You look at the problems that Thrust SSC had getting enough money to do the sound barrier, which again is a magic figure that captures the imagination," he said. "A thousand miles an hour, yes it's a big figure, but it just doesn't seem to have the attraction at the moment." Wales, whose records were set in a steam-powered vehicle and on a lawn mower, cited the space race and even the ever-increasing popularity of Formula One as possible reasons for waning interest. "I don't think the appetite is there any more. At the moment there is no money in record-breaking," he said. "The adage of 'if you want to make a small fortune from motorsport, start with a large one' is so true in record-breaking." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Toby Davis)
Straits Times
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Blue Bird returns to Welsh beach 100 years on from record run
LONDON - Pendine Sands, stretching for miles along the coast of south-west Wales, marks a motoring milestone on Monday with the return of a 'Blue Bird' car that captured the world's attention a century ago. On July 21, 1925, Briton Malcolm Campbell became the first person to travel at more than 150 miles per hour on land when he accelerated the mighty 350 hp Sunbeam along the beach to 150.76 mph. The car, with its 18 litre V12 Manitou aero engine, is now owned by the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu and will be fired up at Pendine in a static display without any run being scheduled. Campbell's grandson Don Wales told Reuters the 1925 record triggered a mania for speed. "Everybody wanted to hear about who's got the land speed record and it was sparked, I think, by this record that my grandfather achieved," he said at a commemorative event in London, with the car on display outside. "He was surprised himself by the amount of media attention he was getting from effectively increasing his own record by four miles an hour, but it was that magic mark of 150." While modern sportscars can easily exceed 150mph, and do so on race tracks and Germany's autobahns, the speed was sensational at the time. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Fatal abuse of Myanmar maid in Bishan: Traffic Police officer sentenced to 10 years' jail Singapore Man charged over manufacturing DIY Kpods at Yishun home; first such case in Singapore Singapore HSA launches anti-vaping checks near 5 institutes of higher learning Business 5 things to know about Kuok Hui Kwong, tycoon Robert Kuok's daughter and Shangri-La Asia head honcho Singapore Sex first, then you can sell my flat: Women property agents fend off indecent proposals and harassment Singapore Jail for elderly man for using knife to slash neighbour, who later died of heart disease Singapore Maximum $7,000 fine for caterer involved in ByteDance food poisoning case Opinion Grab tried to disrupt taxis. It now wants to save them Campbell had hit 146.16 mph in September 1924 at the same location and in the same car. In 1935, by then knighted for his achievements, he became the first to exceed 300 mph on land at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The record now stands at 763.035mph, set in 1997 by retired British Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green who thundered across Nevada's Black Rock desert to break the sound barrier on land for the first time with the jet-powered Thrust SSC. The record has stood still this century, although a Bloodhound project is still seeking the funds to hit the 1,000mph mark with a jet engine and monopropellant rocket working together. An Australian rocket-propelled 'Aussie Invader 5R' project also needs millions. Wales, from a family of record-breakers and whose late uncle Donald died in 1967 at speed on Coniston Water in his Bluebird K7 boat, doubted anything would happen soon. "You look at the problems that Thrust SSC had getting enough money to do the sound barrier, which again is a magic figure that captures the imagination," he said. "A thousand miles an hour, yes it's a big figure, but it just doesn't seem to have the attraction at the moment." Wales, whose records were set in a steam-powered vehicle and on a lawn mower, cited the space race and even the ever-increasing popularity of Formula One as possible reasons for waning interest. "I don't think the appetite is there any more. At the moment there is no money in record-breaking," he said. "The adage of 'if you want to make a small fortune from motorsport, start with a large one' is so true in record-breaking." REUTERS
Telegraph
01-03-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
The quest to set a 450mph speed record could pioneer frictionless travel on water
You might wonder how it is that Richard Noble OBE, entrepreneur and holder of the land speed record (LSR) between 1983 and 1997, is now, at the age of 79, considering a tilt at inspiring the fastest person on water. Surely this consummate record-breaker should be settled back enjoying his trophies and a mug of Horlicks, rather than heading up a team aimed at another record? After all, he played such a crucial part in the Thrust SSC record of 763.035mph in 1997 and its almost-but-not-quite LSR successor, Bloodhound. The water speed record (WSR) of 317mph has stood for the past 46 years, held by Ken Warby and his Spirit of Australia hydroplane. The clue comes in Noble's autobiography, Take Risk!, in which he reveals that when he was six he saw and was inspired by three-times land speed record-holder John Cobb's Crusader WSR boat on Loch Ness in 1952. 'This started me on a quest for the land-speed record,' he writes. (The history of record-breaking on water, including Cobb's Crusader, is detailed below.) He's far from starry-eyed about the dangers of such a project, which are horrendous. Water is around 800 times more dense than air, so hitting it at any speed is extremely hazardous, often fatal. It's almost never flat, with imperceptible swells and waves that can deflect a craft, while it can also contain semi-submerged hazards or pockets of different density, which can cause instability. Seven of the 13 people who have attempted to break the WSR since 1930 have perished in the attempt; the only men who tried to beat Warby's 1978 record, Lee Taylor in 1980 and Craig Arfons in 1989, died in the process. In short, Warby is the only man to have exceeded 300mph on water and survived. With a target of 450mph, has Noble finally met his match, or is the prize of almost-friction-free travel over water too valuable not to at least have a go at it? Other WSR efforts There are currently three other record attempts, all planned with hydroplane hulls. The first is the spiritual successor to Warby's Spirit of Australia, Spirit of Australia II, which was commenced by Ken Warby with his son David, who continued the work after the death of his father, aged 83, in 2023. The craft has more than twice the power of its predecessor thanks to its Rolls-Royce Orpheus 803 jet and plenty of potential. Motor Boat and Yachting magazine reported in autumn of 2024 that Warby, having achieved 260mph in testing, had experienced a bird strike into the engine's turbine blades, which put things back. Quicksilver is a UK effort led by Nigel Macknight, which started as a partnership with Ken Norris, the designer of Bluebird K7 and doyen of speed record-breaking. It's a stepped hydroplane design with input from high-speed boat designer Lorne Campbell and aerodynamicist Mike Green, powered by a Rolls-Royce Spey jet engine. Things have been quiet on the project for a few years as Covid and personal tragedy affected the team, but it's far from dormant. 'The water speed record is really, really difficult and dangerous,' comments Macknight, 'and I've every respect for Richard Noble's effort. I don't really see these things in terms of rivals, as it's not helpful, but while we've lost momentum, we're hopeful and optimistic.' Another British project, Longbow, is under construction at Blackpool, Lancashire. Its project manager, David Aldred, was interviewed by BBC North West in January this year. He worked on the restoration of Donald Campbell's 1950s Bluebird K7 and helped source a new engine for the craft prior to its planned return to Coniston Water next year. Standing in front of his twin-engined, wood-framed hydroplane, he said: 'Unlike the land speed record, which is done in the desert and is just a YouTube video, this will be done in the Lake District, where you can come and see it, skimming across the water, with a guy putting his life on the line, to get the record for Britain.' Embracing risk Undeterred by rivals or risk, Noble is pressing on. He has little truck with what he sees as an aversion to risk in the UK Government and companies, asserting that taking on 'really big risks is the way to succeed'. ''Highly dangerous' for us is ideal, and we offset that risk with design and innovation,' he says. If it sounds crazy, the track record of the Thrust and Bloodhound teams is of brilliant and innovative design along with extensive research backed by solid data and meticulous safety, all of which resulted in the LSR for ThrustSSC and a top speed of 628mph for Bloodhound in November 2019.
