WORLD’S RECORD BROKEN.

Northland Age, Volume 2, Issue 3, 22 January 1930, Page 4

WORLD’S RECORD BROKEN.

SMITH LOWERS TIME FOR 10 MILES. FLYING CAR DOES OVER i<B M.P.H. Flashing over a measured rOmile course in 4m. 2 1-5 secs., Norman “Wizard” Smith last Friday afternoon shattered the world’s speed record for ten miles, achieving an average speed of 148.637 miles an hour. Beach Good But Hard Side BreezeAlthough wet the beach was in good condition. A hard breeze was blowing at right angles to the course—it anything veiy slightly head on—when the attempt was made at 5.30 p.m. Visibility was good. The Anzac was towed by a car to start, slipping the tow-rope at a speed of 10 m.p.h. Crossing the starting line at little over 130 m.p.h., the car, carrying Smith and Don Harkness, quickly increased to near its maximum spe> d. Coming head-on towards them, to the forty or fifty spectators at the finishing line the speed of the car was not realised until the moment it was passing. Then with a roar, in a clo id of spray thrown from the beach bv the flying tyres, it flashed past at terrific speed and seemingly in seconds was miles down the beach.

Four time-keepers from each end rushed to the half-way mark to compare times immediately Smith had crossed the line. The ten-mile run had taken 4 minutes 21-5 secs., giving a speed ot 148637 miles per hour—a new

world’s record. Smith’s speed was over 15 m. p.h. faster than the previous record of 133% m.p.h. established on the Montlhery track by the French driver, Marchand, in a 1 Voisin car.