BSCC Sets Another Unofficial Land Speed Mark - 148mph

The FIA have just joined us, and will be setting up the course tomorrow (Tuesdat August 18, 2009). Attempts will commence on Wednesday. Ironically the date coincides with both the Barber Nicholls run and when Don Wales achieved his Electric record. No pressure! Caption & Image Credit: Rebecca Nicholls, BSCC - Press Officer and Kitchen-Hand

BSCC Sets Another Unofficial Land Speed Mark - 148mph

The British Steam Car Challenge (BSCC), on its way to set an officially recognized land speed record for a human driven vehicle on a course laid out on Rogers Dry Lake Bed, Edwards Air Force Base, Mojave, California, set an new unofficial mark at 148mph.

This is significant because this eclipses the fastest speed ever recorded by any human driven, steam powered vehicle, official or unofficial ... a mark set by Bob Barber in 1985 on the salt flats at Bonneville, Utah (unofficial) stands at 145.607mph.

The British Steam Car Challenge on a test run where the vehicle reached 94.9mph at Edwards Air Force Base. 

Video Credit BSCC

This excerpted and edited from a posting at the BSCC website -

British Steam Car News
Rebecca Nicholls, BSCC - Press Officer and Kitchen-hand - Monday 17th August - Edwards Airforce Base

We arrived at the base at 5.00am, the security check process went smoothly and drove the 12 miles to where we are stationed on the lakebed just as the sun rose. It was beautiful. It was a chilly start, but soon heated up to 104f and at first even the car was cold and the gas wouldn't fill up. Around 7am it was all systems go, Charles [Burnett] made his first run reaching 148mph. The crew turned her around in less than 50 minutes (they have it to a fine art).

During the second pass Charles had to stop as one of the 139 sensors had shut the system down as a safety precaution. The sensor turned out to be faulty and has since been replaced. No big issue. The team also replaced a flowmiser, as it was stuck open and throwing wet steam in to the dry steam affecting the cars speed and performance.
[Reference Here]

It can now be stated boldly and with clarity - At 148mph ... the British Steam Car (affectionately known by the crew as "The Fastest Kettle In The World") is the fastest measured (officially/unofficially), human driven, steam-powered vehicle ever, in the world!

... notes from The EDJE



TAGS: 127mph, 131mph, 145.607mph, 148mph, Barber-Nichols Team, British Steam Car Challenge, BSCC, Rebecca Nicholls, Rogers Dry Lake Bed, Southern California, The EDJE