Club Arnage

http://www.autoweek.com/article/20131025/CARNEWS01/131029885

Quote;

Get ready to see Carroll Shelby as you've never seen him before: played by Tom Cruise. According to Variety, Cruise has signed on to a new movie about Carroll Shelby called “Go Like Hell,” directed by “Oblivion's” Joseph Kosinski.

The new film is based on the book “Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans” by author A.J. Baime. The project will presumably look at Ford and Ferrari's racing teams of the 1960s and the ensuing on-track battles at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, as well as the rivalry between Shelby and Enzo Ferrari. According to Variety, director/producer Michael Mann was once attached to the movie, and Hollywood hunk Brad Pitt was at one point a prospect for a leading role.

Variety says the project is still in the early development stages and the script is likely to be overhauled. Fox Studios said that making this movie is a high priority, with plans to shoot next year.

unquote

So Fox obvious have seen the cash coming in from Rush and now want a piece of the pie..............

An interesting book - I read it when I was away on my summer hols.

F

Cruise isn't tall enough and isn't a Texan

This could be a disaster, did anyone see the last racing movie Cruise made?  Days of Thunder may be the biggest racing movie turkey in history, truly awful.
Fax

Was that the one with Ali G ;D

Hi Fax,
         In my book "Driven" the Stallone movie about Champ car was worse but they both belong at the bottom of the heap.
Phil

I agree, 'Driven' is the worst racing movie ever made. DOT comes in a close second.

The most entertaining race movie of all time... "Talladega Nights!".
The most influential on my life... "Le Mans".

Agreed, Driven was pretty dreadful.  That and Days of Blunder take the prize.
Le Mans, and Grand Prix were huge influences on me.  Actually a good stock car movie is 1973's Last American Hero, starring a young Jeff Bridges.  Obviously based on the Tom Wolfe story it gives a good look at what NASCAR was in the early 70's, before the days of corporate spokesmen for racing drivers.
A film I'm looking forward to seeing is Snake and Mongoose, about the legendary NHRA rivalry between Don "The Snake" Prudhomme" and Tom "The Mongoose" McEwen.  This will appeal to some of the fans of the straight-liners here at CA. http://www.snakeandmongoosemovie.com/
Being a young boy during that era, my brother & I, and all our buddies had the Hot Wheels cars with the dragstrip set.  Good days.
Fax

"Heart like a wheel" seems to have been totally forgotten, probably due to the name, but any film with Don Garlits in it has to be good - well if you're into 1960s drag racing.

I've just found the DVD for £12  Yippee

Yup.  Heart like a Wheel is one of my favourites.  Not sure about Garlits in it but Shirley and Connie were well portrayed.

Hey Steve, I see Kalitta Air aircraft at CVG all the time. Its funny, first thing I think of when I see those are that movie (and Scott of course).
Fax

Cast
 Bonnie Bedelia as Shirley Muldowney
 Beau Bridges as Connie Kalitta
 Leo Rossi as Jack Muldowney
 Hoyt Axton as Tex Roque
 Bill McKinney as "Big Daddy" Don Garlits

DVD contains interviews with Muldowney, Kalitta and Garlits

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yTl2JLBTEns/USy5FY733WI/AAAAAAAAEts/JW5Wwg4MvnU/s1600/DPsmchute.jpg)

During ESPN's extensive coverage of the US Nationals back over Labor Day weekend, they had a good interview with Shirley, who was in Indy.  Good to see, and hear from The Bounty Huntress, she looks fit & healthy.
Fax
(Found the interview on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQK5Tc2ch2A)

Cheers Fax.  Interesting to hear her talking about the Womens LSR.
However, Jessi Combs has just broken the 48 year old record - http://www.gizmag.com/jessi-combs-48-year-land-speed-record/29381/ (http://www.gizmag.com/jessi-combs-48-year-land-speed-record/29381/)
Interesting that the car, 'North American Eagle' is a converted F104.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3J646EBxe0#t=14 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3J646EBxe0#t=14)

Hi Steve,
Old GE J79 engines from F-104 Starfighter's seem to be a popular choice with the LSR guys.   If I recall correctly, Art Arfon's used one to power his Green Monster back in the sixties.
Fax

Weren't J79s still an official secret in Art Arfons day.  I recall he had a lot of grief getting parts, and visits from the FBI

And Shirley promises 450 mph, but the car seems to have disappeared

Yep, I remember seeing a interview with Art before he passed away, and he recounted how the Defense Dept, Air Force, etc. all had their panties in a bunch over the fact he was able to get his mits on one of those.  Being the tough old gus he was, he basically told them to get stuffed, he purchased it fair & square, and he wasn't giving it back.  As I recall, it all started when he contacted GE to get a manual for it, and the sh*t hit the fan (jet turbine fan that is ;D)
Agreed, haven't heard much more about Shirley's LSR car.  Getting funding for projects like these are tough these days.
Fax

Very true.  Seen how much Bloodhound has cost so far?

Isn't anyone going to tell us?

Over 2 years ago it was £6.5 million, and they seemed to have borrowed a £5 million Eurofighter engine, but I haven't heard much recently.  Runway testing of up to 200 mph is scheduled to take place early in 2014.

Plenty of updates and info here - http://www.bloodhoundssc.com/ (http://www.bloodhoundssc.com/)

I'm a bit equivocal about Bloodhound.

I liked the Thrust 2 project and slightly less so Thrust SSC. Thrust 2 had the genuine look and feel of being built in a shed by scruffy bearded men. SSC was still home-grown but in a more aeronautic white overall kind of way. Bloodhound is just too thoroughly worthy and corporate, it leaves me completely cold.

 

You are of course quite right  Grand Fromage   however we will forgive them all that ... When they go 1000 MPH  ;D
Phil

'Didn't power Thrust, tho', did they?  ;) ;D

[anorak ON]
Thrust 1 = 1 x Rolls Royce Derwent
Thrust 2 = 1 x Rolls Royce Avon 302
Thrust SSC = 2 x Rolls Royce Spey 205
[/anorak OFF]

I did attend a dinner back in late 2011 [poss early 2012] and one of the project guys from Bloodhound was there as a speaker that evening.

He told us that Bloodhound is primarily about getting kids interested in STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths] and that as a by-product they would also have a go at the record.

Whether you & I really believe that statement is, of course, another matter  ;)

I went to a similar event organized by the Jaguar club. That is pretty much what put me off the project. Going for land speed records should be a hairy chested, nerves of steel pursuit that is gloriously and wholeheartedly just for the hell of it. The schools thing makes it all a bit prissy and apologetic. 

GF, this is the story I heard.

Richard Noble went knocking on the door of Lord Drayson (at the time, Minister of State for Defence) to ask for a Rolls Royce EJ200 engine.
Drayson was bemoaning the state of science / engineering in the education system and implied that a big 'project' was needed to get the interest of school children.
Noble agreed and said they could help in a limited way.
The result of some negotiation appears to be the Bloodhound STEM programme in exchange for a EJ200.

Perhaps so - couldn't possibly comment - but it is not the primary driver, that's Richard Noble who likes the LSR, the team around him and Wing Commander Andy Green who continues to drive the cars.  It does, however, give the project an extra dimension and, like interest in cars and motorsport, capture them when young.... .

And I get the comments about "built in a shed and hairy-chested stuff".  But do, perhaps, reflect that it's not exactly a full-blown factory/OEM effort, with a vehicle built around an EJ200, a one-off rocket fuelled booster, and an old F1 engine as the fuel pump.  Dealing with issues such as whether the EJ200 can cope with a 3+g deceleration which it's not designed for is interesting when you have to make 2 runs.  Integrating an EJ200 into the vehicle that has to be fooled into thinking that it's in a Typhoon.  And they are trying to achieve 1,000mph while still attached to the ground. Struggling to find backing and support.  Rolls-Royce is now officially supporting the project (since May) and is providing financial and technical support - that's a real first and a indication of confidence - they have not associated their name or provided support for all other LSR attempts using their engines.

So, it's more in an "aeronautic white overall kind of way" than some might imagine, but with the supplement of needing to raise funding and trying to capture the interest of today's youth. Not a bad effort, I would venture....

MG Mark

My daughters school was visited today by team bloodhound, which much to her disappointment had nothing to do with dogs.

I feel she was underwhelmed by the experience.

Never mind Nordic perhaps she is more cut out to be a veterinarian  and leave the rockets and engineering to others.
I bet at least one small flame has been lit in the mind of a student at to days gathering. Perhaps they caught the attention of some Day Dreamer.
Beware the dreamer of the day for they dream with their eyes wide open....and turn their dreams into reality.
Phil

Well said my friend,

MG Mark

This is the advantage the Yanks have.  They actually believe the bullshit and go ahead and do it, when the rest of us are still laughing at the idea.

Doesn't seen to have worked recently for LSR

I think your right, my dreams of the first twin women to win Le mans are dead in the water.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2526231/Tom-Cruise-Brad-Pitt-set-reunite-motor-racing-movie-Go-Like-Hell.html

Brad Pitt is set to co star with Mr Cruise.

This has all the potential to be either quite good or really shite - cue back to title of thread as, IMHO, Mr C is more likely to screw it up and make it rubbish than Mr P....

MG Mark 

I can see it being based on a true story as written by tom cruise, with nothing comparable to the true story apart from the names.
I have never been a great fan of his, but really disliked him when he bought the story of Billy Fiske.
Billy was a young American who won winter Olympic gold and travelled the world before WW2. In his travels he encountered the nazis and didn't like what he saw. At the outbreak he travelled to Canada and onto the UK.
Billy joined the RAF and flew with the RAF. He flew in the Battle of Britain and on the 16th August during a dogfight his Hurricane was hit setting it alight. He managed to land back at Tangmere which was being heavily attacked by the Luftwaffe. Sadly due to burns received Billy Fiske died.
He is buried in Boxgrove cemetery, I first visited many years ago to thank him for coming over to help. An American giving up a wealthy lifestyle because of what he had seen to fight for what he felt was right.
When tom bought the rights the story of course changed, the RAF would be on their last legs, being decimated by the Luftwaffe. Churchill put's out a call to America and Billy Fiske would be part of a squadron that comes to the rescue.
When the story leaked out thankfully the American Air force Veterans were horrified and the film was  dropped. Ever since I have thought tom cruise a complete arse.
Billy flew Hurricanes and not Spitfires as the film would have had. Billy was also not credited with shooting down any aircraft. I imagine tom would have had them dropping like flies.
All that is required for evil to prevail is for good men to do nothing. Billy did something and I am glad a little piece of England will be forever America.

This reeks of Interview with a Vampire meets Carroll Shelby.  I really hope these two d-bag fading celebrities do the great Mr Shelby honor by dropping this project, and leaving his legacy intact.
(The Cobra guys might like this photo, from the Klemantaski Collection's Christmas card this year, Steve guess where & when.  Of course its also on klemcoll.com)

Fax