May 17, 2007 05:23 ET

How Do You Stop A 2,300-Pound Jet Car?

Win an Unusual Seat at the Air Force Reserve Jet Car Race!

LAS VEGAS, NV--(Marketwire - May 17, 2007) - Imagine driving along at 400 mph, knowing that the margin for error was about 1.5 seconds. That is exactly how fast Air Force Reserve Jet Car Driver Bill Braack is going when he makes the decision to shutdown his engine and pop his parachute, ending the dramatic ride.

You can see the Air Force Reserve Jet Car at 2007 Star Spangled Salute, Tinker Air Force Base, OK, on June 9 and 10.

"The Jet Car accelerates from zero to 400 mph in about 8.5 seconds. That's less time than it takes to dial home on a cell phone," said Bill Braack, a 20-year veteran of the Air Force Reserve. "That short ride gobbles up 2,000 feet of runway to accelerate and another 2,000 feet to stop."

Why not make the run longer? "Extending the ride even 1.5 seconds equals more acceleration. If the Jet Car is traveling too fast, it starts to become airborne, which makes it uncontrollable," said Braack.

The stop is assisted by a pilot parachute, which takes most of the force of stopping as it deploys the main chute. Needless to say, these pilot chutes seldom survive one use.

"The Air Force Reserve Jet Car is the fastest car in the Air Show Industry," said Bill Braack. "We are just about at the limit. Still, Jet Car inventor Scott Hammack is constantly thinking about and tinkering with ways to improve the Air Force Reserve Jet Car's performance.

"People ask why I do this. Simply, It is one incredible rush. I've been on the Jet Car Team for ten years; but, I'm only in my second year of driving full-time, and there is nothing like the feeling of speed and controlling such as awesome machine."

Now you can win a "Ride to the Runway." Anyone 18 or older is invited to fill out a card at the Air Force Reserve Display before noon each performance day. If present at the 12:15PM drawing, the winner will ride to the runway with the Jet Car Team and be just feet away from the Jet Car as it begins its dramatic race against a designated plane. The Jet Car will start from a dead stop as the plane comes in low and fast, and the instant the plane passes above the car, Braack will release the 10,000 horsepower and take off. Even given the plane's head start, Braack seldom loses.

The Jet Car Team is proudly supported by the Air Force Reserve, a team of more than 70,000 men and women, who serve to keep America safe.