TEAM 7 RACING'S VALERIE THOMPSON AND DENIS MANNING
P110
Interview
For Denis Manning, team leader and
builder of the "BUB 7 streamliner," he
immediately saw what went right as he
approached the crash site. "All the safety
stuff we designed worked," he declared
after an initial look at the wreck.
Manning and the Team 7 Racing
crew were awash with relief to see
Thompson on her feet, and couldn't
help but marvel at how flawlessly the
streamliner had performed in the crash.
Parachutes had automatically deployed,
the carbon-composite monocoque
frame was flensed by the violent tum-
ble, but firmly in tact, and no fuel had
spilled. Aside from a small gash on her
shin, Thompson was nearly unscathed.
"She walked away," Manning said.
"That's the victory."
What Happened?
"Today didn't go as planned," said
Thompson. Several hours after the
crash, she was still in a pensive state,
yet willing to talk about the incident. "It
doesn't feel very good. But at 343 miles
per hour, standing here talking to you is
pretty, truly amazing.
"Everything happened in slow mo-
tion," she recalled. "Even though the
engine was revving, I remember it
being—quiet. I don't remember being
upside down, not one time."
Thompson reported she did not lose
The carbon-
composite
monocoque
design of
the BUB 7
streamliner held
up remarkably
well in what was
a violent, high-
speed crash.
