Exceptional Year for the Sport

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23009, 9 April 1938, Page 12 (Supplement)

Exceptional Year for the Sport

WORLD RECORD ATTEMPTS An exceptional year both in motor racing and in the establishment of new records is forecast by the English motoring journal, the Autocar, for the year 1938 in a recent editorial. First, it states, cars built to the new Grand Prix formula will show their paces, and in this connection, the first new machines of Mercedes-Benz already are under test in Italy and new drivers are being trained with the cars.

"Before long also we shall know what cars actually will be available for an attack on the world's land speed record during the latter part of the year." the journal continues. "For the first time at least two record cars, designed and built for this one purpose, should be in action together, which suggests that the record itself will be raised to at least 350 miles an hour." The disaster to the Auto-Union will probably cause some revision of plans as far as Germany is concerned, but in any case the German record-breaker is not expected until 1939. The unfortunate accident to Rosemeyer seems, now that all'the facts are available, to have been due chiefly to an attempt at high speed on a day which, because of a strong side wind, was utterly unsuitable for the purpose when the only course available was a comparatively narrow road. Be that as it may, activity in record-breaking should be greater this year thn/i has been tho case for Bome time past.