RACING MOTORIST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19931, 27 April 1928, Page 12

RACING MOTORIST.

FRANK LOCKHART KILLED. ATTEMPT ON SPEED RECORD. DAYTONA BEACH ACCIDENT. .' * Australian and N.Z. Press Association. NEW YORK, April 25. The well-known American racing motorist, Mr. Frank Lockhart, was killed at Daytona Beach. Florida, to-day. A motorcar he was driving capsized while it was travelling at a speed of 200 miles an hour in an effort to break the speed record. Mr. Lockhart was recently injured in a similar accident and had only just left the hospital. One of his hands was still partially incapacitated.

Although Mr. Frank Lockhart was only 25 years of age he ranked as ono ot America's greatest drivers. He was a born mechanic and a master at the wheel on either track or beach. When he was 20 years old he was winning small championship events on the second-class tracks of California. His first prominent performance was the establishment of a one mile record at 91.9 miles per hour on the Bakersfield earth track. This did not place fiini with the world's crack drivers and he was comparatively unknown when he entered for the American classic, the Indianapolis 500 mile race, in 1926. Driving against all-coiners Lockhart won this lace at an average speed of 95J miles per hour.

At the end of 1926 Lockhart held the 150 mile record at 126£ miles per hour and the 300 mile record at 96£ miles per hour. In 1927 his attention was drawn to short distance spurts with front wheel drive cars in the restricted engine class. With a diminutive eight cylinder car fitted with a 1500 cubic centimetre engine he created a flying milo record of 164 miles per hour. This speed stands unbeaten in its class. Lockhart then designed a 3000 c.c. car, with which he hoped to beat Major H. O. D. Segrave's speed of 203.7 miles per hour, attained with the giant Sunbeam. Captain Malcolm Campbell succeeded on February 19 in raising the record to 206.9 miles per hour, and in attempting to eclipso this three days later, Lockhart lost control in a wind squall when he was travelling at over 200 miles per hour and ran into the sea. Ho was extricated suffering from injuries to the face and wrist. Since he, designed his last car Lockhart had been employed in the factory of the Stutz Company.

CAPTAIN M. CAMPBELL. EFFORT TO REGAIN RECORD. (Received April 2G, 5.45 p.m.) British Wireless. RUGBY, April 25. Captain Malcolm Campbell is to make an attempt in this country, within the next two months, to recover for Britain the world's motor speed record. His own record of 206.9 miles an hour was beaten on Sunday by Mr. Ray Keech who, at Daytona Beach, Florida, set up a new record of 207.5 miles an hour. Captain Campbell says he will immediately effect modifications in his Blue Bird Napierengined car on which his earlier record was established. He believes it is quite capable of regaining the record. He has cabled his congratulations to Mr. Keech.