Fascination of Speed

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 320, 3 April 1928, Page 6

Fascination of Speed

Record-Making and Breaking

Some Notable Performances

Speed at all times in the world’s history has had great attractions for mankind. Racing, whether of men, beasts, or machines, has ever been a sport of the first rank. It has had material advantages which the more sober might claim as excuses for what might otherwise seem to be unproductive labour. Steadily, as the days and years pass, the maximum speeds attained by motor-cars increase, and the sizes of the engines employed decrease.

In recent months cars of about the same cubic capacity (1500 c.c.) as the 11.9 h.p. have been driven at speeds in excess of 170 miles an hour. The heavy stresses imposed by such trials on all parts of the car, metal, ignition system, springs, and transmission, all help to reveal weaknesses and to indicate to designers how weight may be saved and engine sizes reduced in the cars sold for general use. In the ’9o*s when the motor-car was coining into its own, railway trains had already travelled at speeds ot well over 60 miles an hour over short sections of selected routes, and it is, therefore, appropriate that a steam car should have been the first among normal motor vehicles to create a “record” of over 60 miles an hour. In 1901 a Serpollet steam car covered the flying kilometre at Nice ai a speed of miles an hour, and in April, 1002, a car of the same make covered the same course ad p speed of over 75 miles an hour. From this time onwards maximum speeds' increased rapidly. At Ormond Beach, Florida, a few miles from Daytona Beach, an American named Marriot is said to have driveg s Stanley steam car at a rat- of 12'/ miler an hour, and in a later attempt to have touched 145 miles ah hour before his car turned a complete somersault. At Saltburn, in 1908, Mr (now Sir* Algernon Lee Guinness drov* an eight-cylinder Darracq car at r speed ot 121.6 miles an hour for the flying kilometre. HOW RACES ARE TIMED.’ Witk the increase in speed new method* of timing became necessary, and it was also considered desirable that some central and international body should be formed with power to make definite decisions as to the holders of world “records.” Hand-timing hr' stop-watch was liable to error, whatever might be the skill of the individua* timekeeper, and it was therefore decided that speed “records” should be timed by' mechanical means. The, most efficient of such mechanical jtiinmg systems was designed by Major-General Sir Capet Holden in or the year 1907, and is still in use. A-t each end of the distance to be covered, in the cast of short “records” (kilometre, mile, etc.), and at one point in the circuit in the case of long “records,” a timing “strip” is laid across the. track. This “strip” consists of two flat rubber tape*; 9in wide. On the inner side of each are naked copper wires, which are normaßy kept apart by two pneumatic tubes. A« the car .‘majagg t*he "record” attempt crosses

the “strip” the wires are brought into contact, an electric circuit is completed, and a graduated tape passing through a chronometer-driven timing apparatus is marked with a dot showing th« exact moment of passage over the tape. Error is impossible. “Records” are controlled by an international federation representing 22 countries, which sits in Paris, and all “records” are .submitted to it for confirmation. Each country must by re* gulation employ' a mechanical timing apparatus approved by the federation, but such systems need not be of common type. Thus the machine used in France" differs considerably from that used in England. OVER 200 M.P.H. In recent years it has been necessary in attempts on the mile and the kilometre “records” to make runs in both directions along the course, the mean of which provides the “record” figures. Thus the effect of wind and of gradient is reduced. “Records” are divided into two classes—international world’s “records” oyer various distances or periods for cars of any power, weight, or size, and international class “records,” Arranged in 11 classes, according to engine size. For some years the official “record” for the kilometre was held by a Napier car, driven by Mr Newton. His speed was 119 miles an hour. This “record” was broken by' Hemery, at Brooklands, in' a 200 h.p. Benz, at a speed of 127 miles an hour, a “record” which endured until after the war. Until last March the world’s ‘‘records” for the flying kilometre and the flying mile were held by' Captain Malcolm Campbell who, in a Napier-Campbell car (fitted with a 450 h.p. Napier aero engine), covered the kilometre at a speed of 174.8 m.p-h., and the mile at 174.2 m.p.h. These “records” were, however, beaten by Major H. O. D. Segrave. who. in his 1000 h.p. Sunbeam, covered the kilometre at a spee4 of 202.9 r BS m.p.h., and the mile at a speed of 208.988 m.p.h. In feats of endurance England has also stood high. In June. 1907, Mr S. F. Edge drove a Napier car for 24 hours on the Brooklands track at an average speed of over 65 miles an hour. To-day the 24-hour “record” is held bv a 45 h.p. Renault car. which maintained a speed of 107.90 miles an hour for 24 hours. Three drivers took turns in this last drive, whereas Mx Edge drove throughout the test. The hour “reeoTd,” for which there i* always much competition* was 4a*t broken by the late Mr J. G. Barry Thomas.