This is where the Bloodhound SSC team intend to find out. Haksteen Pan is a salt pan in the northern part of the Northern Cape, and big enough to clear the required 11 miles of track for the record attempt. The current road across the pan will also be removed to create the necessary clear space.
The pan is covered with masses of pebbles that have to be cleared by hand. This will provide work for 300-400 people for two months, and be sponsored by the Northern Cape government who see this as a public works program, and an opportunity to publicise adventure travelling to the area.
The previous land speed record was set by Thrust SSC in the Black Rock Desert. That surface is no longer usable for this type of activity as a result of the impact of the annual Burning Man Festival.
We had good fun taking this picture. I was abandoned in the middle of the pan, and my colleagues drove off into and beyond the mirage. They then turned round, turned on the car lights to make the vehicle more visible, and cranked up the speed. I can guarantee that the Pajero didn’t come anywhere close to what the Bloodhound SSC will attempt sometime in the next 12 to 24 months.
Originally started the project to improve my photography skills. Over a 2500 photos later it's become a personal diary. I post pictures that mark my...
