Speed: The elite

The unrelenting heat of Battle Mountain, in Nevada, USA, was hard enough to cope with.

More startling to me, though, was only a handful of media and spectators had congregated in this desert wilderness to witness what was to prove a seminal event.

Who would become the fastest man on Earth under his own power?

Those absent missed a truly astounding week of competition and a dramatic narrative that outdid a Dick Francis thriller.

The event, titled the World Human Powered Speed Challenge, represented a marriage of pure speed, world-class athleticism, design genius and cutting-edge technology. All combined to racing strange futuristic-looking craft called Human Powered Vehicles (HPVs) to their absolute limits.

 

	Whittingham: Record breaker ©John Cassidy Photography

Records in sport come and go but the 19 that fell in the various categories during the week was more than even the most optimistic enthusiast expected.

Canadian Sam Whittingham eventually emerged victorious, having broken his own previous world record of 72.75mph (117.1kph) four times during the week, and culminating in the phenomenal speed of 80.55mph (129.6kph) on the final day.

That was enough to see off the challenge of his American rival and close friend Matt Weaver, but only after the latter had succeeded in redefining his status in the sport.

Previously labeled by his fellow competitors as "a dud" and criticized for "never getting it together", he turned up with two days of competition left and immediately improved his personal best speed by an astonishing 7.94mph, only a fraction away from Whittingham's record.

It begged the question what could Weaver have achieved if he had turned up on time?

 

Blueyonder: Failed in attempt ©John Cassidy Photography

The British Blueyonder Challenge team brought a new dimension to the sport with their investment of hundreds of thousands of dollars into their project.

The construction of their HPV by world-famous motor sport manufacturers Reynard was very different from the garage-based creations of Whittingham and Weaver.

Their dream of breaking the world record at the first attempt was also fueled by the acquisition of an elite cyclist, the Olympic gold medal winner Jason Queally.

However, the dream never even looked remotely like becoming reality. Unlike football, baseball or rugby, where money can so easily buy success, the World Human Powered Speed Challenge proved that HPVs is one sport where you can't simply stump up mounds of cash and get immediate results.

Experience counts for everything.