A 300 M.P.H. SPEEDWAY.

Manawatu Times, Volume LIV, Issue 7061, 8 November 1929, Page 13

A 300 M.P.H. SPEEDWAY.

AMBITIOUS BRITISH SCHEME. After having' driven at over 200 m.p. h., on Daytona Beach and in South Africa on hard baked flats, Captain Malcolm Campbell is endeavouring to promote the building of of the fastest rourse in the world so that all record breaking will take place in England. Sir Henry Seagravc holds the flying mile record at 231 m,p.h., Campbell holds the five mile at 212'm.p.h., and a huge ear is being built for Kaye Don to attempt to improve both performances. One of the problems of its design is the construction of a braking system which will allow a four mile a minute machine to pull up within the confines of the beach. There is certainly a demand for a stretch which will allow this record breaking to go on. The natural courses seem to have reached their capacity, and from both an experimental and a spectacular point of view a developed speedway might not be altogether unjustified. A long, flat stretch of marsh, seamed by rivulets, dotted with ponds; such is the site of tho world’s proposed speedway south-west of Skegness on tho shores of the walsh. Briefly, it is proposed to build a course 15 miles long and 200 yards wido on which attempts on the world’s speod record may be made. It is intended that this course shall be of a permanent nature and unofleeted by weather conditions or tides. The suggestion that there should be a concrete road 100 ft. wide down the centre of this 200yds. speedway, the remaining area being firm ground on which tho driver would have a chance of recovery should he get into difficulties, while there would be the minimum danger to spectators, who would, in any case, be on top of the protective sea wall, on which, incidentally, it is suggested to build a grandstand four miles long in order that spectators can get front scats.

Features of this astounding product are that tie preliminary outlay is estimated at half a million pounds sterling; the main track will be 15 miles dead straight, and owing to its concrete surface it will be the fastest 15 miles in the world. The grandstand will accommodate 200,000 people partly under cover. Twenty-one miles of specially surfaced roads would nave to be constructed, thus giving employment to 3000 men for 12 months. Finally, it is estimated that between 7,000 and 8,000 acres land will be reclaimed.

Captain Campbell has made exhaustive investigations and hopes to start this scheme moving. A correspondent of Tihe Motor who surveyed the area by aeroplane, says:— “There is no doubt that here ih a piece of land which is apparently useless for any other purpose, but first it must be protected from the sea. It, is likely, indeed, that the speedway, except at its extremities, will actually be built up on the firm, sandy foreshore, with the result that the marsh behind can be drained and eventually

made into arable land. From the air one can see clearly a sea bank, in itself a monumental work, built by the ancient Romans with primitive implements. With railways, steam navvies and all the resources of modern engineering skill, it should be possible to build a similar sea bank in a very short time. It is estimated that the proposed sea bank would have, to be about 21ft. or 22ft. above the ordnance datum, in orde rto guard against heavy sees and spring tides. This bank, therefore, while being well above the low-water mark wduld in places be half a mile or so below the present highwater mark.”