RECORD BREAKERS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17223, 14 December 1923, Page 11

RECORD BREAKERS.

THEIR WONDERFUL NERVE. | Is it physical stamina, or “nerve.'’ that carries a driver through the strain of breaking a record? asks a writer in an Australian paper. On a perfect track, putting up? a record against time, a motorist gets into a “ fourth dimension ” or hypnotic trance, induced by speed and concentration upon one idea. Faster and faster flash the surrounding objects past him, till they merge in a blur and are forgotten. He lias passed into another world, where the | asphalt flows dizzily beneath him and j there is nothing left in his mind except tho sense of direction and the | feeling of strain upon him from the | wheel. “ Nerve ” —meaning courage and the scorn of danger that leads to 44 taking risks ” —he no longer possesses, nor is it necessary. He has become part of his machine—a mechanical sleep-walker. Ho is automatic. It is a different matter with the speed-king of tho road Eternal vigilance is the price of his liberty to re- ! main aliie. “Nerve” he must have, 1 or pile up his, machine at the first j tight comer h© gets into; physical stamina clone can carry him over the sleepless vigil of the ever-changing

'Hi© Australian temperament, with its quality cf fatalism and indifference, naturally makes for the occurrence of born speed-kings, for our “ Big Four ’ —the men in the record-breaking limelight at present—do not 4 train ” for their stunts; and though speed-driving in Australia is confined to the breaking of inter-State records, the business calls for just as much stamina as trying to hit up 112 miles an hour on Florida Beach or Brooklands SpeedThc “ Big Four ” are Norman Smith, A. V. Turner, Boyd Edkins, and young Percy Brown, who at twenty-three possesses as much nerve and driving skill as any of the famous American drivers, and more than most of them. Record breaking did nut appeal to

Brown; racing from one State to another, with its abundance of thrills, was not exciting enough. He wanted to go up against some of the Y r ankee drivers. So he packed up and went to America, where he carried everything before him. cleaned up 10,000 dollars in prize money, and returned to Sydney a few months ago, and ever since lias been telling the boys at M’lntosli’s garage (where he served bis time) of the opportunities awaiting racing drivers on the other side. Norman Smith, one of tho hardest worked speed kings on the road, would also do well in America. In between inter-State records he puts over Lillclimbing and other stunts and carries most of them off with flying colours. Fearless and cool as a cucumber, lie is known all over Australia as Wizard Smith. His skill in tuning up cars for speed tests got him the name. "Where American drivers train themselves into good physical condition be-r fore a speed run, The Wizard trains his car instead—he drives •it around for at- least a month t*o get it up to concert pitch. When the car is ready bo is ready. He agrees that physical training is necessary to fit a driver out for a strenuous non-stop interstate run. but with him the car comes fir,st. When he lias finished working on it he just lias about enough time left to say good-bye to his wife. Smith has won more competitions than any other driver in Australia. He has broken numerous inter-State records and his Brisbane to Sydney time lias been cut so fine that he is not afraid of it being broken for some time. Turner is the silent worker of the four, but he has on unbeaten record, and is considered in the trade to bo one of tho fastest, and best drivers in tho State. Ho has made three successful inter-State record-breaking trips, and his thirteen hours from Svduey to Melbourne looks like holding good. On that trip he averaged for tv miles an hour. One of tho old school of recordbreakers, he started his 44 smashing ” in 1913, driving an American underslung. It took his nineteen hours two minutes to cam out the journey between Melbourne and Sydney. Strangely enough, he does not like publicity. When he puts over a stunt, a smile is about all the newspaper reporters get from him. “ Iron ” Boyd Edkins talks ©f retiring from record breaking—he says it is too fast a life for a man of his nge. Boyd holds the distinction of being the first overlander to beat the Melbourne Express, ar.d smashing A. V Turner's record that he had held for three years. Edkins drove, a ltf-20 Vauxhall on all his trips, and held this record until a private owner and friend of Edkins’s came along with a 30-98 Vauxhall.