HAZARDOUS TRIAL.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 82, 5 March 1935, Page 7

HAZARDOUS TRIAL.

IN THE BLUE BIRD. MALCOLM CAMPBELL’S EXPERIENCE. DAYTONA BEACH, March 3. A rough beach forced Sir Alalcoim Campbell to postpone his attempt on the world fund speed record in his Blue Bird car on Sunday, after a trial run in which he reached 270.473 miles an hour through the measured mile Half the time he was riding almost out of the car, the course was so rough. He hit a bump just before lie eamo into the measured mile, and bis goggles slid down over his nose anl mouth, almost shutting off his breath. The car bounced so that his head was most of the time above the windshield. Ho said that the terrific pressure felt as though it might take the lop off his skull. He did not attempt to come north on the second run which the rules demand. If lie had cut only l-7th of a second from tho 13.31 seconds ho took lor the measured mile on Sunday he would hare set a new mark a shade above the presect record of 272.1DS miles an hour.

Ho was so close to eternity on Sunlay that lie decided, for the peace and comfort of all concerned, not to run until the beach was considerably smoother. “It is simply impossible to run for a new record with the beach as rough as it is,” he said. “You can drive on this beach, in an ordinary car with one hand at 100 miles i>er hour, hut in the Blue Bird at 275 or 300 miles per hour ‘is something entirely different. In 30 years of racing I have never experienced anything like past two lavs, but I will stay here 25 years if [ have to to get the beach I want. Without slippage I should have picked up at least 25 miles more, and I would have had the record in my grasp. 1 was driving blind in the middle of the mile, tho wind was almost tearing my head off, mv goggles were choking me, and the sand was so rough that I could feel the tread tearing off the tyres.