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Aussie Invader - World Land Speed Record Challenger
Aussie Invader 5R - Rosco McGlashan Presents Australia’s World Land Speed Record Contender
Our Kiwi mates across the ditch are undergoing their final logistical work ahead of their huge trip to Bolivia. Reg Cook and his mighty Cook Motor Racing Team have worked their butts off to get to the other side of the world and establish a new wheel driven car, world record. Rosco and the Aussie Invader Team wish these guys and gals all the very best. We admire their dedication and hard work. Drive it like you stole it! Rosco👍www.facebook.com/share/v/1DinKtuTUe/ ... See MoreSee Less
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When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it, or it's been deleted.- likes love wow 102
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Amazon are offering a special price in the UK to buy the e-book for £1.99 at the moment. 👇👇👇 ... See MoreSee Less
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Did you know that the McLaren F1 team in the 1990s was looking to break the world land speed record?I was recently reminded of my involvement with this story, and it has now been added to my book. However, I am happy to share this story, especially with all those who have already bought a copy and may not be aware of this...Just prior to our first visit to Lake Gairdner and our attack on the Australian land speed record in December 1993, I was invited to attend the Formula One Grand Prix in Adelaide. This Grand Prix was held on 7th November, 1993. I sat at a table with some heavy hitters, including Ron Dennis, the boss of McLaren, and Dean Wills, the CEO of Coca-Cola Australia at the time. I was asked to give a talk to all the exhibitors, FIA representatives, as well as a large crowd of F1 racers and support personnel. It went well, and I received some great comments and best wishes for our land speed record attempt.McLaren’s drivers were the brilliant team of Ayrton Senna and Mika Häkkinen at the time. Over the weekend, Dean Wills, the Coca-Cola boss, had a drive in one of the McLaren cars down the main straight of the Adelaide street circuit, claiming it reached speeds of about 180 km/h, remarking how fast it was. Ron Dennis said to Dean, “The speedo is in miles per hour, not kilometres.” Much to Dean’s surprise.Dean invited me to his house in the Northern Sydney suburb of Belrose, where I pitched to him for Coca-Cola sponsorship for our project. Dean was excited and rang Mark Clark, the Managing Director of Coca-Cola Australia. Dean told me to haul ass down and meet with Mark with his blessing for a two hundred thousand dollar sponsorship deal. Wow, how brilliant would that be?Mark and I had a discussion, shook hands, and he said, “Let’s do it.” I flew back to Perth, very excited, only to have Cheryl meet me at the airport, saying she had received a call from Mark, who said, “Sorry, it’s not going to proceed.” I was at a loss to work out why they had changed their minds so quickly.A month later, McLaren held a press conference on 16th December, 1993 at its headquarters in Woking, UK. This was during our first land speed attempt at Lake Gairdner. McLaren’s owner and Chief Engineer, Ron Dennis, announced that the team had been secretly developing a jet-powered vehicle to break the world land speed record and sound barrier for the last couple of years.At this press conference, McLaren showed a mock-up of their car, called Maverick. None of the assembled press were allowed to take any photos. McLaren announced that it aimed to break Richard Noble’s 1983 record of 633 mph and also sought to break the sound barrier. The car was designed and built by McLaren’s Advanced Vehicles division (MAV), hence the name Maverick. Millions of dollars had been budgeted to ensure this car got off the drawing board. It was going to be powered by a Turbo Union RB199 jet engine with afterburner, as used in the Tornado fighter-bomber. Its design was similar to Craig Breedlove’s Spirit of America – Sonic Arrow, which also featured a single jet engine. Maverick would utilise McLaren’s expertise in lightweight composites, aerodynamics, and efficiency. It would harness Formula One technology to achieve its speed rather than relying on brute power.Shortly after this announcement, I was interviewed by the press. I told the press at the time that a lightweight composite car was not the answer, as it would struggle to gain the wheel traction it desperately needed on a salt or desert playa surface. McLaren was considering an attempt about two and a half years after their initial announcement, aiming to break the record around mid-1996. There were even rumours that Ayrton Senna might be the driver. However, the project stalled, and in mid-1995, McLaren announced they were no longer pursuing their world land speed record ambitions. It was never officially announced why the project was pulled. At the time, McLaren was still well-resourced and had no shortage of money or expertise. However, Senna had left to drive for Williams and was sadly killed in May 1994. McLaren had not won any races that year since Senna had left. Cancelling Maverick after such a public announcement must have been slightly embarrassing for McLaren and may show a realisation of the challenges associated with such a car and project. Something we had known for a very long time.More great stories are in our book - ROSCO The Fastest Aussie on Earth.Rosco McGlashan OAM@followers @top fans McLaren #mclaren #McLARENF1Team Landspeed New Zealand Association Driver 61 Meremere Dragway Australian Drag Racing History and Memorabilia New Zealand Drag Racing AssociationPhoto sources - Unknown. ... See MoreSee Less
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Read the latest Aussie Invader project update from Roscomailchi.mp/aussieinvader/project-update-july-2025 ... See MoreSee Less
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We are just about to send out a newsletter update. If you haven’t already registered for these, please go to our website and you can register at the bottom of our homepage. #Newsletter #ProjectUpdate #aussieinvader #landspeedracing #cardesignworld ... See MoreSee Less
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We have just received a new shipment of full-colour paperback versions of our book. Each is signed by Rosco and author Mark Read. These feature 160 colour photos and 390 action-packed pages. We are only shipping these within Australia, as the international shipping cost is too high. Makes an ideal present. To purchase, please visit our website or see the link in the comments below. Cost is $55 + $12 for packing and shipping.#signedbooks #aussieinvader #landspeedracing #dragracing #GiftForDad #GiftforHim #AustralianStory #memoir #biography ... See MoreSee Less
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This week we were very honoured to have a visit from Mike Annear (centre) and his friends. Mike worked with us over many years, from our Aussie Invader 2 record attempts to Aussie Invader 5R’s early days. Mike produced numerous CAD concepts and designs for the Aussie Invader 5R, as we explored different jet and rocket engine configurations. #cad #concepts #cardesignworld #landspeedracing ... See MoreSee Less
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For anyone interested, we have recently updated the photos page from the book online. aussieinvader.com/drag-racing-land-speed-book-photos/These photos range from the 1970s to 2020s. These are great historical photos of drag racing and land speed events. The Book obviously puts all of these in context and explains all of the stories behind Rosco’s incredible racing career.#dragracingphotos #australiandragracing #landspeedracing #aussiedragracing Australian Drag Racing History and Memorabilia @followers @top fans ROSCO The Fastest Aussie on Earth Valerie Thompson Racing #dragracing #dragracinglife #landspeeder #fastcar #fastlife #actionshots #fearless #FearlessAndFree #aussieinvader New Zealand Drag Racing Association Haynes Jet Racing Meremere Dragway ... See MoreSee Less
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With our attendance at the Avalon Airshow recently, it meant we had a backlog of promised workshops visits. Yesterday we had the Pre War Sports Car Club ventured out in the wild weather. Thanks Lynn for arranging the visit. ... See MoreSee Less
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Had a great day at the Mullewa Muster and Rodeo. Some great trucks, people, stands and entertainment.#rodeo #bootscootin #trucks ... See MoreSee Less
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