5: The August Speed Trials
Wednesday 31st August 2011
On the weekend of 13th and 14th August 2011, Bluebird Electric took to the sands at Pendine to attempt to raise the UK speed record for an electric vehicle. The event was covered by all the local and national media, and watched by hundreds, if not thousands, of speed enthusiasts and well-wishers. Unfortunately Pendine is not an ideal venue for breaking speed records. It’s a natural tidal beach, and speed attempts are only possible on certain days of the year – when the tide is in the right state. The measured mile includes sections which the team refer to as “porridge” – almost quicksand, which even 4x4s struggled to cross – yet this is the best venue in the UK for a speed record attempt. The beach is often wet, and on hot days, a combination of mist from the drying sands and heat haze make it near-impossible to see from Bluebird’s cockpit. Add to that the drag induced by the wet sand, and it is easy to see why teams such as Thrust and Bloodhound have looked overseas for challenge locations.
The attempts on records were to be made on the Sunday, with the Saturday used to shake-out problems with the car, and the in-field charging systems.
Early on Sunday, 19-year old Joe Wales made his first attempt over the measured mile. The car accelerated strongly, but with very limited visibility and an unexpected slide at speeds that were certainly well into 3 figures, the car veered across the bumpy sand and ran into the porridge that was stopping even 4x4’s, ultimately hitting what the press refer to as “a pothole”. At the speed the car was travelling, it was no surprise that this lead to suspension damage. Sadly this ended the speed challenge for the weekend – and in truth, only Joe’s natural talent for car control on soft sand and quick reactions meant the damage on impact was as minimal as it was.
Mercifully, Joe only suffered mild whiplash in what was a high-speed crash. We rather suspect that he was more emotionally devastated rather than hurt. There was a lot of expectation riding on those young shoulders, but he handled it brilliantly, and we look forward to seeing him back behind the wheel for the next attempt.
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