Nobody has driven a car faster than British fighter pilot Andy Green, and he still doesn't have a land speed record despite a run that was just a few clicks of the speedometer shy of the speed of sound.
Green pushed Richard Noble's jet-powered Thrust SSC to 719.137 mph Tuesday in a blazing run across the Black Rock Desert 125 miles north of Reno.But the dual parachutes that slow the car failed, and Green had to stand on the brakes at 200 mph, overshooting the end of the 13-mile course by 1.4 miles and thwarting the second run that's required for a record.
"The brakes are still operating well. The double chute failure is no big deal. I'm not worried about it," Green said. "We had a successful day, and we were very pleased with it."
If Green was pleased, Noble was ecstatic, even though his record is on the line.
"You've witnessed something really historic today. It's the first time over 700 mph," he said. "The speeds today were astonishing."
Noble set the record here Oct. 4, 1983, at 633.47 mph, 85.6 mph slower than Tuesday's run. More important to Noble is that Thrust was within 40 mph of his eventual goal, which is the speed of sound. SSC stands for supersonic car.
"We're seriously near the speed of sound. I think it gives you an idea of the enormous potential of this car. We think it's still got power left," he said.
Mach 1 would hover somewhere between 750 mph and 760 mph on the Black Rock. Green, who is used to that speed in an RAF fighter, sensed that Thrust was getting close on Tuesday. And that's just what the boss wants.
"We're interested in working up to Mach 1, not in getting the record. We all have to feel confident this car will reach Mach 1."
Thrust will take today off and might not run until Thursday to assess the effects of the high-speed stop, which Noble said lit up the brakes to about 800 degrees Celsius, or 1,472 degrees Fahrenheit.
On the other side of the desert, American Craig Breedlove may remain parked until Friday, according to spokeswoman Cherie Danson. His "Spirit of America" hasn't run since a 381-mph outing on Sunday that tied his best speed this year.
He's been working on a cranky fuel pump and on problems in his wheel bearings caused by the filigree sand that permeates everything on the desert.