BURST OF FLAME.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20282, 17 April 1934, Page 5

BURST OF FLAME.

Menace to £20,000 Racing Car. DRIVER’S COURAGE. The famous £20,000 racing car, Silver Bullet, which has not raced since 1929, when it accomplished 188 miles per hour at Daytona, nearly met with disaster before its first run at Southport, England, last month. It had been towed on to the sands in preparation for its* attack on the British Empire record of 217.5 miles per hour, at present held by Sir Malcolm Campbell. Mr Jack Field, the Southport racing driver, who hopes to break the record, was lowering the engine revolutions before slipping in the clutch, when the machine burst into flames. Chemical extinguishers were brought into use, and the spectators helped in quelling the outbreak by throwing sand on to the engine. Mr Field showed great presence of mind in cutting off the petrol supply before jumping clear. Later he made two runs along the beach, about five miles each way, and expressed himself as well satisfied with the car’s performance. Everything was working very nicely, he said, and he easily got up to 120 miles per hour, and could have done more, but dared not attempt it, owing to the bad state of the beach. On a prepared track the car would be easy to handle. The R.A.C. have given permission for the attempt on the record to be made.