Press Release/FYI:
World's Fastest Human 2002 Speed Challenge, Sept 30 - 0ct 5, Nevada USA

Several days ago, world silver-medalist American Tim Montgomery edged Maurice Greene's mark for the world's fastest man on foot at the Grand Prix in Paris by 0.01 seconds (5 inches at the tape) for 100 meters (9.78 seconds). There's another "World's Fastest Human" who wears a very different shoe.

Starting September 30th, the "World Human Powered Speed Challenge" will be held in Battle Mountain, Nevada, USA. It's where humans have gone the fastest using pure muscle power and innovation. The laws of physics are the rulebook. Top athletes are melded with technology and art. There's more to the challenge than "speed" - it's about discovering the "possible" and symbolizes the all-encompassing concepts of human potential, ability, energy and intelligence.

Six days of racing, Sept. 30 - Oct. 5, 2002. Held in the spectacular desolation of Battle Mountain, Nevada (see below). One pure-muscle sprint each sunset (5:30pm). Athletes accelerate over 5.1 miles of desert highway from a standstill to top speed. New this year: $25,000.00 ".deciMach" Prize for fastest human over 82-MPH (must break reigning Sam Whittingham's 80.55-MPH world record set last year). No-nonsense extreme speeds (100 meters under 2.8 seconds) using pure muscle strength. Athletes power the most energy-efficient vehicles in existence. The world record surpassed 70-MPH in 2000 and 80-MPH in 2001.

Official Race Site - The World Human Powered Speed Challenge 2002:
http://www.wisil.recumbents.com/wisil/whpsc2002/speedchallenge-2002.htm
Photo Gallery - http://www.speed101.com/gallery/
Race Articles - http://www.speed101.com/articles/

The race site is off Interstate 80 on Hwy 305 between Salt Lake City, Utah and Reno, Nevada, USA. It is exactly midway between the Bonneville Salt Flats where the world's fastest automobiles gather and the Black Rock Desert,
Nevada, where the British Thrust SSC jet car cracked the speed of sound. Hwy 305 is also the course for one of the world's fastest public-road races, the 90-mile "Pony Express" with a top course average near 200-MPH.

Confirmed teams from USA, Germany, Canada, UK, The Netherlands. Possible team from Russia. Also, a trio of women from USA, Germany, and Canada will vie for top speed honors.

Athletes include: (see www.speed101.com/gallery/ for racer photos and links)
* Sam Whittingham, Canada, 80.55-MPH World Record Holder
* Matt Weaver,     USA,     78.02-MPH U.S. Record Holder
* Jan Van Eijden, Germany, World Cycling Sprint Champion/Olympian
* Fred Markham,    USA,     Former 65.48-MPH World Record Holder/Olympian
* Tanya Markham,   USA,     51.27-MPH Fastest Women's Kilo. 16-yrs old.
* Andrea Blaseckie, Canada, 54.04-MPH Women's Top-Speed World Record
* Ellen van der Horst, NLD 42.46-MPH Women's World Hour Record Holder
* Rob English,     UK       Top European "low racer" cyclist in the "Mango"
* Plus at least 4 more elite cyclists/teams through a pre-race qualifier.

Most teams stay at "Race Central" at the "Best" Inn, only five inches from the heart of the Washington Post's official "Armpit of America" - Battle Mountain, NV. For details, see:
http://www.battlemountain.org/armpit.html or
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&node=&contentId=A31628-2001Nov28¬Found=true

The 2001 contest was full of surprises, and a 50-minute BBC/NOW Ash Potterton documentary, "The Fastest Man on Earth" captured it. If you're not familiar, there's a brief summary and photos of the racing by 2000 racer/organizer Sean Costin at http://www.wisil.recumbents.com/wisil/whpsc2001/resultsSaturday.htm.
There's also a good article in the April 2002 Canadian "Explore" Magazine - see http://www.explore-mag.com/new/current/exp_current03042002a.html.

There will be activities every day, including bike races at the airport and two sets of sprints in the evening on a 6-mile stretch of highway. Details forthcoming at the "official" website. Keep tabs there and you might be tempted to make the final day, Saturday, Oct 5.

Also, the annual bicycle industry "Interbike" show (www.interbike.com) is being held immediately after BM in Las Vegas (Oct 6-8). There's a chance there will be arrangements for a world hour record attempt (Ed Dempsey-Paul
MacCready Hour Prize) on the fast 1.5-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway immediately after BM, but track availability and racer commitment is undetermined at this time.

Sincerely,
Matt Weaver
email: edge "at" speed101.com

Race organizer:
Garrie Hill
garriehill "at" nextek.net