Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Pendine to host two speed attempts this year

The sands at Pendine will be the scene for not one but two speed record breaking attempts this year.

That news was confirmed at last weekend’s Race Retro classic motorsport show in Stoneleigh.
The driving force behind both attempts is Don Wales, grandson of record breaking great of the 1920s and 30s Sir Malcolm Campbell and himself no stranger to Pendine Sands. He will bring his Bluebird Electric car to Carmarthenshire in August to mark the 10th anniversary of his last speed record runs there in the same car.
Don set a new UK electric car record on Pendine beach in 2000 when he exceeded 137mph over a flying kilometre.
His aim is to set a new UK record for an electrically powered car as a prelude to a trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats in 2012 when he hopes to take the outright record past 300mph.
Before his electrically powered effort, however, he will be at Pendine on 22 and 23 May aiming for a rather different goal. Project Running Blade is aiming to set a new speed record for lawnmowers and Don hopes  to top 100mph across the sands in a machine which, to comply with regulations, must still be capable of cutting grass.
As if all that wasn’t enough, the serial speed ace is also involved with the British Steam Car Team, whose car, Inspiration, has already set five speed records for steam powered cars. Endurance will be on display at the Three Cocks #Steam and Vintage Rally near Hay on Wye on 8 August.
Also at Race Retro were the Margam based Historic Endurance Rallying Organisation, or HERO, promoting their programme of events for classic cars.
These will include Le Jog, the event whose name stems from the fact that competitors drive from Lands End to John O’Groats including a challenging section through Wales. This year’s event will start on 4 December.