Heck of an investment to just go fast

I'm mostly in favor of the quest to set new sports records (particularly in athletic events). I read this article about the quest to set a new vehicular land speed record, and was both impressed and slightly appalled at the amount of investment in money and time that was required to just make the track for the effort. But hey, if the people clearing the rocks got paid, maybe I shouldn't complain so much. At least they had a job.

"The track team of over 300 people has worked away for the past seven years, clearing an area equivalent to a wide road from London to Moscow.

They have prised around 16,000 tonnes of stones (over 50 tonnes per person!) out of the surface to leave the most incredible track surface behind, ready for Bloodhound to arrive next year.

The track team has hand-cleared the largest area on earth ever prepared for a motorsport event. We felt this should be formally recognised, so we contacted the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA)."

And when you read the article, the rocket car is an impressive work of science and technology. Perhaps even inspirational to some sectors and students. But I keep thinking that this is a lot of money and time -- just to go fast.

Records are made to be broken, right?