The Cars Aren’t Running, but the Race Is On

Wednesday, Oct. 23, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

While challenger Craig Breedlove tinkered with his jet-powered Spirit of America in the Black Rock Desert Tuesday, incumbent Richard Noble was awaiting the arrival of his Thrust SSC in another desert in Jordan.

Breedlove became the first man to travel faster than 400, 500 and 600 mph while setting five land speed records on Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats. He moved his attempt to regain the title to the remote desert 100 miles north of Reno when water encroached on the flats in Utah.

Unfavorable winds thwarted any sprints on Tuesday.

Noble, who prefers running in the desert to speeding over salt, set his 633.468-mph record at Black Rock 13 years ago this month. After receiving necessary permits to race in Nevada, he opted for a site 190 miles southeast of Amman, Jordan.

His brother, Andrew Noble, said on Tuesday that al-Jafr "is perfect for the attempt" because of the flat, hard surface and the assistance provided by the Jordanian armed forces and the royal family. Many of its members are car racing fans.

Both teams are watching the sky for rain showers, which would dampen the dry desert floors. Breedlove may have greater cause for concern.

The forecast calls for a slim chance of rain Wednesday night continuing into Friday.

"We can take a light rain," Breedlove said. "A real heavy rain might flood us out and we'd be done for the year. If we have showers Friday, we'd have to work around it. Generally speaking, our weather window should be good through mid-November."

Noble, whose car is scheduled to arrive on Saturday, also is looking at a run for the record in the next couple of weeks.

Unlike Breedlove, he will turn over the driving duties to Royal Air Force fighter pilot Andy Greene, who either will seek to eclipse his boss' record or, depending on what happens in Nevada, to wrest it back from Breedlove.