[Land-speed] Fwd: Jesse James "record" at El Mirage

[drmayf]

Rich Fox wrote:

>     I am still trying to bring KT around on this....It is my
>     contention that records are meaningless unless we have a standard
>     to compare them to. Which has been the two runs, measured mile,
>     average speed deal that we all have run under. Keith and Jesse are
>     proposing doing away with this as a standard method of defining
>     record performance. OK lets do that. And you know what? while we
>     are at it I would like to bypass the old standard of 5280 feet per
>     mile. Who really cares how many feet there are in a mile? Not the
>     TV viewing public, so I am going to run with a 5000 foot mile. And
>     why use exit speed? If we are not going to use average speed,
>      exit speed isn't necessary either. Lets go by radar or GPS. I
>     know the car was running at least 20 mph faster (5000 ft. miles)
>     just before it nosed over. at the 3026 ft. mark. Lets use that
>     speed. When we deviate from established standards because it is
>     easier that way we make records meaning less. That's what I think.  RF
>
>
Lemme see, ECTA uses a mile run up to a 132 ft trap, EM uses a 1.3 mile 
run up toi a 132 ft trap, Tex Mile I think uses a mile run up to a 132 
ft trap. And all are one run only records.  There are a lot of things 
wrong in   the  manner of the calimed record but the major issue is that 
the BMW ran a two way average timed by appropriate sanctioning body. And 
I think it was done within the 1 hour time limit. I  may have facts 
wrong. I am getting old, lol. In JJs claim he made several runs to get 
the top speed for the car,  none a two way average.  And yet entirely 
consistent with how the ECTA,  EM and Tex Mile measure their runs. None 
I think require a two way average. And that is the rub here. Even if he 
had run a two way average on the salt during one of the events there, it 
would not be a challenge to the World record.  If that was so, many runs 
made on the salt under SCTA or USFRA could be defined as World records. 
Well, other than the fact that they do not make runs in the other 
direction wihin an hour. That's JJs problem he never made an apples to 
apples run anywhere. Now He may claim to have the fastest H2 powered 
vehicle at EM and that would be true. And, heck, it would not even be a 
EM record! Current record for fuel class with AA motor is 305 and 
change.  So he really does not have any kind of record at all. Just a 
fast run made using H2 as fuel.  And I certainly don't mind if he claims 
he made the fastest run in America using hydrogen as fuel.

Someone also made mention of the wind powered record set over at the dry 
lake, Ivanpah. That record was timed using instrumentation defined by 
their sanctioning body and reviewed by independent observers.  That 
sanctioning body did indeed certify that record according to their rules. 


In any case, great fun in the discussions, just lets not let our 
arguments outweigh  the sensibility or importance of the thing.

mayf