04 October 2006

INTERVIEW WITH ANDY GREEN

Andy Green looks back on his record breaking achievements with the JCB DIESELMAX race team.

How does it feel to have been part of the JCB DIESELMAX team?

"It was the most amazing privilege, to have been part of the remarkable team and to have driven the car for them, faster than any other diesel powered vehicle in history. This is about making people’s dreams come true and it’s a wonderful thing to have been involved in."

What is it about the human race that makes them want to go faster than ever before?

"It’s in our nature! Human beings are forever testing the boundaries of their knowledge, experience and achievement. The Land Speed Record is simply an obvious and pure form of this fundamental human tendency. We also need things to dream about, to be excited about – and record breaking is most certainly exciting."

Why do people get a thrill from speed?

"Good question and I just don’t know why, but we just do. Why do people like speed? Why do people like chocolate?"

It’s very strange that an Oxford mathematics graduate would practise such a dangerous sport. How do you explain your passion for two different activities, your day job and your passion for breaking records?

"No, you are wrong. First, the wonderful sport of straight line racing (dating back to the first World Land Speed Record of 1898) has proved one of the safer forms of high speed motor sport, with a safety record that the likes of Formula One has only recently begun to match. Second, I was part of a very bright, intelligent, highly qualified and highly motivated team – in many ways this form of motor sport is more intellectually challenging than racing small slow cars round in circles. It presents truly unique problems and involves pushing back the boundaries of human endeavour – a lot more fun than finding an extra 1/10th of a second per lap. Why wouldn’t an Oxford graduate want to do something this intellectually challenging and exciting?"

What are the main obstacles in achieving a Land Speed Record? Do you think there is a limitation to the maximum speed mankind can reach?

"The obstacles are many, but the biggest thing you need is the determination to succeed. Thrust SSC was ‘impossible’, both technically and financially, but Richard Noble just kept pressing on and took his team with him. The technical challenges for the JCB DIESELMAX were equally large, particularly as the JCB DIESELMAX was a wheel-driven car however the courage and determination of the company, and their team of engineers, ensured they were able to achieve their goal in a short amount of time.

"As for the limit, it’s only limited by what you can imagine and whether you are willing to put everything into making it happen. Then if the technology doesn’t exist, you’ll just have to develop it!"

What are the main difficulties connected with such performances, and which are the main skills required?

"Driving a car faster than anyone else – ever – has never been simple. Malcolm Campbell - after one of his records at Daytona Beach in the 1930s - said he had ‘One hell of a job keeping the car straight’. Nothing has changed since then – on the day that we set the supersonic record (15 October 1997), I accelerated through 1000 km/hr with 90 degrees of steering lock on and the car sliding sideways. On the slightly slippery salt surface of Bonneville, controlling the power of the JCB DIESELMAX was equally challenging, with the enormous torque of the engines trying to force all four wheels to spin, even at 300mph or more. The secret in any record drive is to control the enormous forces involved, which requires a good design together with confident, precise and quick-reacting driving inputs."

Can these skills be improved by training, or is it necessary to be naturally gifted?

"Like any skill, some ability is required, but it can always be improved with training. I have spent some very useful sessions at Jonathan Palmer’s driving school at Bedford, practicing power slides and car control at speeds of up to 120 mph, this has helped to develop the precision and reactions that were needed to get the very best out of the JCB DIESELMAX."

When did your passion for speed begin? Do you follow this passion in any of your hobbies?

"I am a fighter pilot, so I understand and feel comfortable at high speeds. I use these skills in other sports, such as skydiving and the Cresta Run. However, it’s not just for the speed: I also do a lot of sailing and gliding and I ride a slow motorbike, a Harley Davidson Wide Glide."