TO ATTEMPT RECORD

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31142, 19 August 1966, Page 9

TO ATTEMPT RECORD

r pWO British motor-cycle enthusiasts, V. Phillips and M. Pearce, have fitted a Hillman Imp engine into a motor-cycle combination for an attempt on the 1300 c.c. class world records. The combination has been christened jthe “Impetus.” The 998 c.c. engine is being i specially tuned and raceprepared by A. Fraser, head of the Rootes Group-spon-sored Alan Fraser racing team, of Kent. The group decided to help the two motorcyclists after hearing that they had spent more than £4OO building the Impetus. The Imp engine was chosen because of its light weight, and the pair bought a secondhand engine for £45 and spent the entire winter, spring and part of the summer of last year designing and building their combination. They spent about 2000 hours in their Epsom workshop. The motor-cycle side-car combination was successful in several sprints and hillclimbs in 1965, and could cover a standing quarter in 14.8 seconds.

Since then the engine has been further modified and enlarged to its present 998 c.c., and the builders are confident that they will be able to beat the present 1300 c.c. standing quarter record of 12.4 seconds.