FIA Main Event 2009 Page 1 of 1
	How much work does the driver do on a 7.0 second blast up the strip? Driver Vince Fearless Gibbs reveals all...
So what is it like to pilot Nosferatu on a 7.02 second pass? Burnout is completed and I am backed up over the stripes I have just laid down, the bank and grandstand is full and thousands of pairs of eyes are watching. With the increased fuel and boost Nosferatu's engine is revving up and down in cycles (hunting, as it is known) and I have to left foot brake harder than usual to keep stationary. Slight release of pressure and I move forward in jerks as the motor fights against the brakes. Pre stage, check the fuel is on full setting for the last time then it's into full stage. As the ambers count down I wait for my moment then with the full weight of my whole right leg I plant the accelerator pedal to the floor and release the brake. Imagine being rear ended whilst stationary in your family car by an idiot doing fifty miles per hour, that is how the car leaves the start line. Fortunately I have a helmet on, a big foam pad behind my head and a five point harness holding me tightly into the seat. Even though I am strapped in well I can feel the belts loosen as I am compressed into the seat. For the fist second my vision blurs and the noise is incredible, constant slight steering adjustments keeps me in the lane and then a big jolt as the RPM activated shifter bangs Nosferatu into second gear. In 4.5 seconds I'm up to 157mph and things start to settle down, the car is straight and I can see the finish line approaching quickly. I now take hold of the parachute release lever and wait to cross the finish line gantry. I push the lever and put both hands on the steering wheel. Now imagine being the idiot in the car slamming into the back of a stationary car, that's what it's like when the 'chutes inflate. As you can see from the pictures elsewhere on the site, the 'chutes lift the rear wheels off the ground and all I can do is wait for them to come down before hitting the brakes. Last job it to keep the motor running and lean off the fuel then park up and wait for the news from the team.