Rosco: The Fastest Aussie on Earth

The Amazing True Life Story of Rosco McGlashan

By: Mark J Read

Narrated by: Greg Newman

This book tells the unbelievable story of Rosco McGlashan's life, cars and motorsports career. It is a fearless story of guts, grit, and extreme determination. Quitting is not in this man's motor sports DNA. Rosco is an Aussie drag racing champion, land speed record holder and motor racing legend. His early years were extreme, leaving home and school at twelve to start his motor racing career. He fought everyone and everything and, at 17, ended up in prison and even solitary in extreme conditions.

Once released, Rosco finds salvation through his love of speed and raw horsepower. He focuses his fighting spirit and adrenaline on racing and going very fast. His V8 drag motorcycle and jet dragsters take him to race tracks all over Australia and the USA. He meets some incredible people and some extremely dangerous ones! This leads to heart-pounding adventures and tales of danger that will leave you speechless. At 30, Rosco's passion for thrill-seeking turned from drag racing motorcycles and jet dragsters to capturing the World land speed record, a goal he set himself at just twelve. His risk-taking puts him in extreme danger when he gets kidnapped by the Russian Mafia when trying to buy two MIG jet fighter engines in Moscow, and he fights his way out.

He crashed a car at nearly 600 mph when breaking the Australian land speed record. He clinically dies on an operating table when another car he was street racing went off a mountain road. Rosco was revived and broke many motor racing and land speed records. He meets mass murderers and world leaders, then casually chats with the Dalai Lama. Rosco and his team are putting the finishing touches on their latest automotive engineering masterpiece, the World's fastest and most powerful car. Aussie Invader 5R has the power of 200 Grand Prix Formula One cars! It can accelerate to 1000 mph in just 20 seconds. Strap yourself in for a fast ride and one of the most action-packed, high-octane life adventures you will ever read or hear!

©2023 Mark J Read (P)2023 Mark J Read

EXCELLENT

You will not be disappointed. The story, the history, and even the narration is all excellent!

A ripping yarn about the life and times of Rosco

I highly recommend this book. It gave me new insight into Rosco and the build of Aussie Invader 5R. I was glad to hear of the help he's had designing the car. As a STEM ambassador for the Bloodhound LSR project I've always mentioned Rosco as our main, and now only, competition. Knowing something of the difficulties had when designing Bloodhound, I was concerned with AI5R. But now I understand he's all to aware of these difficulties. I wish him every success in breaking the record. He deserves to hold it, at least for a little while. It would be great to take it back from him! Good on ya mate. Stay safe!

Rosco: The Fastest Aussie on Earth

This book is well worth reading or listening to if one is interested in the land speed record, or someone who has had an amazing adventurous life.

I am a life-long fan of the World Land Speed Record. While in the 5th or maybe 6th grade a friend had a record with the title I seem to remember as something like The Sounds of Speed. One track had Mickey Thompson starting up his four engine Challenger 1. For his neighbor's entertainment, my friend would put his record players speakers in the window, turn the volume all the way up, and play the track of Challenger 1 starting and warming up the engines. As I never heard of them complaining, I guess the neighbors didn't mind.

A very sad event took place when Rosco was told by the Australian Taxation Office that a near half-million-dollar grant he’d been offered and partly paid was being withdrawn and that he would have to pay back $180,000 of the grant that he’d already spent. Liquidators were hired to sell Aussie Invader 5R, but fortunately, no buyer was found. Rosco managed to make a deal with the tax office and got Aussie Invader 5R back.

It was fun to hear that the Dalai Lama visited Rosco and sat in the drivers seat of Aussie Invader 3. The Dalai Lama made engine noises while pretending to drive the car!

Hopefully, soon, Rosco and his team will have Aussie Invader 5R out on a track to run for the World Land Speed Record he so deserves.

And lastly, for pulling Rosco’s feet out of the fire from both the police and the local building inspector, my thanks goes to Sue, wherever you are!