The smell of speed

Andy Green. Photo provided to China Daily

"Apart from the heat, the noise, the vibration, the gravity and the car sliding on the desert, it should be easy," he says, jokingly.

It will take Green only four minutes to break the world record on the racing track. For him, driving a supersonic car is mainly a mental challenge.

"It's not a major physical challenge. Most of the challenge is to ignore all the distractions and the noise so I can concentrate on controlling the car."

Green's father briefly served in the British Royal Air Force. Green recalls growing up with lots of stories of flying. He received a scholarship to Oxford University, where he acquired first class honors in mathematics in 1983. After graduation, he joined the RAF and became a fighter pilot and later a wing commander.

The early training in mathematics and flying now allows him to be involved in every aspect of the Bloodhound SSC, including engineering and driving.

Asked about his fitness regime, Green says he maintains a routine of cardio, running or bike exercises on most days, although he is lucky not to have to diet. And he remains a careful driver both on and off the racing track.

He says his wife drives faster than he does. "It would be too embarrassing for me to be stopped for speeding."

Green and his team share their excitement through education programs, hoping to inspire young scientists and engineers to work on future projects.

The team is also working with the British government to show the car to about 100,000 students every year since 2008.

"It is an adventure through record to inspire the next generation," Green says. "They are the people who will build and live in the high-tech and low-carb world (of) tomorrow."

But the world needs more engineers, he adds. He gives China as an example and says that 35 percent of companies are struggling to find enough technical expertise to grow and expand, and it's the same in the UK and elsewhere.

Green is now talking to companies that want to translate his website into Chinese for students here.

Rolex, one of the sponsors of the Bloodhound project, provides an analog speedometer and chronograph, which are independent to the central powering system, so that Green will have precise speed and timing readouts for this record, the watchmaker said in a statement.