RACING CAR ON FIRE.

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18625, 2 May 1932, Page 8

RACING CAR ON FIRE.

ATTEMPT ON RECORD. THE EFFORT POSTPONED. UNTIL NEXT SUMMER. _ l KAITAIA, Sunday. A fire which broke out in the engine of Mr Norman Smith’s racing car, the Fred. H. Stewart Enterprise, during an attack on the world’s five-mile land speed record at noon to-day, has put a conclusion to Mr Smith’s venture at Ninety-Mile Beach, at least until next summer. Although travelling at over 100 miles an hour, Mr Smith was not hurt and the car was not damaged extensively. It is not expected that the damage will prove extensive, as the fire occurred in only one carburetter, and although a point on the engine cowling was blistered the flames did not spread to other vital parts of the engine. When the signal came through that everything was ready for the attempt on the record, Mr Smith climbed into the cockpit. The engine started easily.. However, after only two miles, the engine began to misfire, finally stopped altogether, and then picked up again intermittently. The Speed of the car slackened immediately, and when near the garage a sheet of flame burst from beneath the engine cowling. The driver immediately switched off, and steered "the car on to dry sand. For a few-moments the flames were fairly fierce, but A fire extinguisher from a truck, which was following, helped to quell the flames. The car was returned to the garage. Mr Smith later announced that he was convinced it was useless to make any further attempts on a wet beach, and would postpone future efforts until November. He still retained the opinion that the Ninety-Mile Beach was the best available track for world’s record attempts, but the season had been exceptional, and the beach had been consistently wet. The racing car and all other equipment would be shipped to Australia until next summer, when he would return to New Zealand, hoping for better conditions. The fire in the car was attributed by Mr Smith to water finding its way through the covers on 'to electric equipment, arid causing a short circuit. 1