WORLD RECORD

Taranaki Daily News, 18 January 1930, Page 9

WORLD RECORD

WIZARD SMITH’S SUCCESS

TEN MILES IN FOUR MINUTES SPEED ON 90-MILE BEACH DESIGNER AS ASSISTANT Auckland, Last Night. The Australian motorist “Wizard” Smith broke the world's 10-mile motoring record on Ninety Mile Beach this afternoon. Mr. Smith covered the ten miles in four minutes two and one-fifth seconds, equal to an average speed of 148.637 miles an hour. He was driving his Rolls-Royce-Cadillac car Anzac in which he established the Australian and New Zealand mile record of 146 miles an hour on Saturday afternoon. With Mr. Smith in the mechanic’s seat was Mr. Don Harkness, designer of the car and engineer responsible for its production, to whom much of the credit for the successful attack on the record is due. The previous record for ten miles was held by M. Marchand, who averaged 133.54 miles an hour on a track near Paris. He was driving a Voisin car. Mr. Smith bettered this time by over fifteen miles an hour, while his average for ten miles was two miles an hour better than his performance over one mile a week ago. The beach was in perfect order for the attempt, which was made late this afternoon. The only unfavourable condition was the wind which blew across the course. The dash was made without the slightest jnishap in the presence of a small group of spectators. The result was received with enthusiasm.