Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Views on How To Reach 300 m.p.h.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18757, 13 July 1935, Page 9

Sir Malcolm Campbell’s Views on How To Reach 300 m.p.h.

IN’ a recent issue of the Field, of which journal he is motoring editor, Sir .Malcolm. Campbell reveals some interesting details of his latest and successful attempt to set a new world speed record at: Daytona Beach. He states that although he was disappointed with tlie actual results; h» does tint i'rcl that his time has been wasted, for much valuable knowledge was obtained from his exploit. “ First ,ol' all, 1 am convinced;” .he says, “that anyone wishing to improve upon the existing record at Daytona will have to bo exceedingly luck.v, both with weather and beach conditions. The beach must be absolutely smooth and.devoid of the ordinary sand ripples which cause wheelspin at over.'2so m.p.h. The. snri'aco should be hard and dry; often it is loose and wet.” The champion goes ou to . explain Cliitt this year for weeks at a time the beach was ' covered with red sand thrown up by the son during- southeasterly winds; a circumstances which not only made the course very heavy, and caused excessive wheel: drag; but also was responsible for a thick liazo, Which was' most disconcerting for. a record-breaker; Furthermore, the iiuintd nlm.o.sphor'o caused fogging of the windscreen and "restricted .visibility (o such nu extont .that driving ai high speed became hazardous in the extreme. ” . It is surprising to learn that apparently negligible factors 1 from the standpoint of travel at a'mere . 100 ir 200 m.p.h. can exert* a most 11 afavorable influence .when a rate of 31)0 .m.p.h. is attempted. Wind Resistance. It is well known,by all students of -motoring that the win'd resistance increases as the squtiro of the' speed; in other words, it is, for example, four times greater at 00 m.p.h. loan at 30 m.p.h. The record must be established officially on the times registered in runs in opposite directions on flic course, and it is therefore essential that there should be no wind, but a perfectly still atmosphere, a conditiou which is rarely procurable at Dayt.ona, when tlie beach is in a fit state for racing, since it needs several days of a hard nor’-caster to make the surface approach perfection. Moreover, Sir Malcolm propounds the theory that seaside courses are not as suitable a? those in inland areas, because the heavier atmosphere increases Wind' re ; sistanee, and cold, dry weather is most favorable for perfect carbmetion. It is considered too that an inland course would bo much better, because it could be marked out at leisure, and tho aspirant for speed honors would merely have to wait for a suitable day, and would' not bo at the 1 mercy of climatic conditions,. which change from hour to hour. Possible High-Speed. Tracks. .Among the.possible, sites- which have •been..reconnoitred,are tho dry .beds of .salt lakes in Utah, but. it is thought that the, distance available , therri miglit not lie, adequate, and parts of the. surface are softer tiinu ..others. According to Sir Malcolm, Verneuk Pan, in South Africa, might be made ono of the best high-speed tracks in the world, but it is unfortunately difficult of access, an.d', the. cost of preparing it for record-breaking Would be prohibitive. It is the opinion of this famous authority that the speeds Which are contemplated to-day can only -be attained when all circumstances are utterly favorable. Conditions which were tolerable when tho record stood below LffiO m.p.h. are not good enough .to-day. Tho wind pressure is so terrific -that, any slight unovoness prevents the whoels from obtaining proper adhesion, and power is lost through whoel-'spia: At 300 rn.p.h., the wind pressure is ,13001 b. and at L’Tli.S m.p.h. the present record, a second of time lost or gained on the measured course ' is equivalent to 23 m.p.h. Near Coveted Goal. On the faster of the tw,o runs over the flying mile, the Blue Bird registered 281.3 m.p.h., and had its driver been able to clip off only eight-tenths of a Second from the elapsed time he wofp' in one direction have reached a fate of live miles a minute. .Commenting on this narrow margin, and on his future plans, Sir Malcolm states: "It "ill therefore be seen how near and yet how far we from our coveted goal. .We are now travelling over the ground at the rate of .137 yards per second; but before-, w-e finish we must increase this velocity to 14fi yards per second; or, to put it another way, we must improve our highest speed by 6.25 per cent. This performance can he achieved, but only provided the ideal course is found. . . . I-have d'ecidvd to make another attempt later iti the year to reach the livc-mile-a-minute mark, and am now making-my plans with that end in view. I realise the difficulties only too well, but having set myself this task I am determined to see it through. If 1 tint unsuccessful—well, it will not be for want of trying.”

'J'IIREF. more men were Hilled last month at tlie Indianapolis motor speedway, where since the track was opened’ in 1000, 23 racing motorists or mechanic's and four spectators of motor-car races have lost their lives. One of those killed was a veteran motorist, \Y. H. Stubblefield. His ear am! another broke through'’the con- 1 crete wall c-neitr-ling the track -while the drivers were qitnrliptirtg to qualify for a 500-mile fane bit -MaV 30. -

...A Scot Was crisitiihg a's-6 cheque. Whim ho foeolvocl tlie notes, he Coaritod tliri.rti ctliefttlly, stopping wfie/i lie readied the nineteenth.

"Why dnh’t you.Cbiiftt the twentieth?” inquired the deboufitatit. "Aha, there niiUhf be t&0 there.”