CHASING SPEED

Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1929, Page 2

CHASING SPEED

IN THE HEART OF THE DESERT. Captain Malcolm' Campbell is attempting to hid for the world’s Inndxpecd record, and the Sir Charles Wakefield trophy on a dried-up salt lake in South Africa. Recently, Captain Campbell left for South Africa with his Napier-Arrol Aster car, in which he hopes to regain the world land-speed record and the .mr Charles AA'akcfield trophy. To do this lie will have to attain over 231 miles per hour recently achieved by Major Seagrave at Daytona, driving his ('famous Golden Arrow using “ Castrol ” motor oil. Contrary to the wishes of Captain Campbell, public interest in his attempt on the world’s land-speed record is such that his plans have leaked out to some extent. It took him 17 days to reach Capetown, after which lie had hetore him a (500-mile journey to Verneuk Ran, a dried up lake some 45 miles from the village of Brandvlci. No expense is being spared, and apart from the cost of the car, a matter of several thousand pounds is involved. The famous racing car has been given the title of “ Napier-Arrol Aster,” being due to the fact that the chassis and body alterations were carried out by the Arrol-Jolmston and Aster Engineering Co., Ltd. It is reported that the course is as level as it is possible to find, the fall in the surface not being more than 1 in 10,000. Curious mirage efforts are said to hi* witnessed on this dried up lake, so that blades of grass stick out like bushes, pebbles no bigger than match-boxes look like small hills, and posts 2 feet high assume the proportion of telegraph poles. It is an extraordinarily dry area, the rainfall in nearly four years being .5 of an inch. Facilities for transport are difficult, the nearest railway head being /•> miles away.

Readers will recall that Captain Campbell left to boat the speed record of over 207 miles per hour put up by Ray Keeeli, of America, at Daytona Beach in 1928, gaining for America the world’s land-speed record and the Sir Charles AVakeiield trophy recently regained for England by Alajor 11. O. D. Sograve-at the stupendous speed ol over 231 miles per hour. The credit for the discovery of Verneuk Ran rests with the “ Cape Times,” as it was 011 the original survey made by that paper that Captain Campbell sent out a representative to inspect the site.