The Bloodhound Land Speed Record team is looking for a new driver
Record-holder Andy Green will help find and mentor the new recruit
The owner of the Bloodhound Land Speed Record (LSR) project has launched a search to find a new driver ahead of what he hopes will be another attempt at setting a new world record.
Wing Commander Stuart Edmondson, who was “handed the keys” to the Bloodhound project at the start of 2022, will be promoting the search during a week-long UK roadshow dubbed “Race to Greatness: Bloodhound Land Speed Record Driver Search”.
In a statement, Bloodhound LSR described the driver search as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to “attract passionate and skilled individuals who are ready to push the boundaries of speed and aspire to become part of history, by driving the fastest car on Earth.”
However, as passionate and skilled as the potential driver may be, with the capability of driving a car at speeds in excess of the targeted 800mph, they must also possess another key attribute: money. As per the official statement:
“Any potential drivers must be able to bring the required funding to enable the project to set a new
Land Speed Record … Therefore, we are asking for anyone who thinks they have the appropriate financial
backing, experience and skills, to get in touch through our website.”
Applicants will be scrutinised by Wing Commander Andy Green OBE (below), who was the first person to break the sound barrier on land en route to setting the current record of 763.035mph in 1997, in the Thrust SSC car.
Driving.co.uk was told that Green, now 61, “is still very much with the team and will be part of the selection, training and mentoring process” in the same way that former record-holder and Thrust SSC project leader Richard Noble mentored Green back in the 1990s.
The roadshow, which will feature a full-scale replica of the Bloodhound LSR car, will take place at six locations over seven days from tomorrow, November 8. It starts at the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, Warwickshire before travelling to Silverstone in Northants, the RAF Museum in Hendon, Brooklands Museum in Surrey, and the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, before a final event at Caffeine & Machine: The Hill in Warwickshire.
| Location | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| British Motor Museum | Wed, Nov 8 | Midday-5pm |
| Silverstone | Thu, Nov 9 | TBC |
| RAF Museum – Hendon | Fri, Nov 10 | Midday-5pm |
| RAF Museum – Hendon | Sat, Nov 11 | 1pm-5pm |
| Brooklands Museum | Sun, Nov 12 | Midday-4pm |
| National Motor Museum – Beaulieu | Mon, Nov 13 | Midday-5pm |
| Caffeine & Machine: The Hill | Tue, Nov 14 | 5pm-11pm |
According to the organisers, the roadshow will also involve a route through central London on the morning of Saturday, November 11, as well as a wider tour of London and the M25 on the following morning.
As well as opportunities for the public to attend the events, media have also been invited in order to help raise awareness of the driver search.
In an exclusive interview with Driving.co.uk last year, Bloodhound CEO Edmondson (pictured below) revealed the project was still “very much alive” and that a new land speed record could be achieved very quickly with the proper financial backing.
He also expressed his desire to make the project net carbon zero, with the car’s jet engine running on synthetic e-fuel; an engineering challenge he described at the time as “awesome”, adding, “burning fossil fuels is not appropriate to the era we live in”.
Announcing the roadshow this morning, Edmondson said: “As we enter a new chapter of the Bloodhound LSR Project, I am excited about the opportunity and challenges that lie ahead, and confident that this will enable us to return to South Africa and set a new record.
“With a new driver, along with my aim of not using fossil fuels to set a new FIA Outright World Land Speed Record, the project promises to be exciting, engaging and relevant at so many levels.”
To put your name down as a potential driver and backer, visit BloodhoundLSR.com
Related articles
- If you were interested in Bloodhound LSR’s new driver search, you might also like to read our interview with Stuart Edmondson from 2022.
- Andy Green Q&A: What it’s like to drive Bloodhound LSR at up to 628mph
- Bloodhound land speed record car reaches 461mph in South African testing
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