The calls came pouring in and within seconds, a cavalry of ambulances, emergency responders and law enforcement officers were dispatched to the scene. No one was quite sure what to expect, but the deafening noise and the billows of smoke and dust that could be seen for miles rising over the tree line suggested a possible plane crash. Um - Not quite.
As it turns out, the source of the seemingly scary sight proved a bit of a shockwave - literally. Rather than crash carnage, would-be rescuers found Neal Darnell hosing down his jet-powered monster semi-truck dubbed "Shockwave." Apparently, Darnell, known in air and automotive entertainment circles as the driver/pilot of the world's fastest jet-powered truck, forgot to advise his new neighbors of his enviable job and all the weird perks that go with it.
Among those perks is Shockwave, a bright yellow semi -truck out fitted with jet fuel engines. Darnell and his son, Chris, race Shockwave and their Flash Fire pickup trucks against some very fast airplanes, beating even an F-16 in 2011 at Andrews AFB in Washington, DC. Shockwave can hit speeds of up to 376 miles per hour and always draws crowds at the hundreds of shows and events that Darnell produces each year.
As for that smoky scene, Darnell explained to responders that he had recently raced Shockwave on a dirt course, necessitating a good hose-down. To wash the 36,000-horsepower truck, Darnell has to use its jet engines, which causes a whole lot of noise and white smoke.
"We do it from time to time and it will usually generate a couple of 911 calls, but today for some reason it brought out a whole army of emergency vehicles," Darnell told local media, noting that he doesn't blame his new neighbors for making those concerned calls.
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