Craig Arfons – Rain X Challenger
Rain-X Challenger (photo courtesy of Franklin Ratliff)
Craig was a champion drag car racer with a vast amount of knowledge of jet engines which he incorporated into both his cars and the Rain X Challenger. In the case of the boat he used an afterburning J85 engine within a lightweight composite hull for his attempt upon the Outright Water Speed Record on July 9th, 1989 at Jackson Lake, near Sebring, Florida. Craig and the Warby family were great friends on the drag car racing circuit but they were unhappy with several aspects of the craft’s design.
Rain-X Challenger (photo courtesy of Franklin Ratliff)
The fears of both Ken and Dave Warby about the craft were profoundly correct and it was extremely sad that their great friend who was loved by so many was killed as a result of injuries sustained when the craft became unstable at speed and crashed.