TEN MILES IN 4 MINUTES

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 874, 18 January 1930, Page 1

TEN MILES IN 4 MINUTES

“Wizard” Smith’s Speed Record WORLD’S RECORD FOR N.Z. . THE SUN'S Special Reporter KAITAIA, Today. NORMAN “WIZARD” SMITH set a new time for the world s 10-mile record on the Ninety Mile Beach yesterday afternoon, when he attained the average speed of 148.637 miles an hour in his 500-horsepower Cadillac-Rolls Royce car, “Anzac.” He covered the total distance in 4min 2 l-ssec. and bettered the previous record time established by M. Marchand in his Voisin car on the Monthlery track by 15 miles an hour. It is the first world’s motor-car record to be set in New Zealand. No more than 50 enthusiasts saw the speedy “Anzac” whirl past the post.

It was not generally known in Kaitaia that the attempt would be made yesterday, for, after Wednesday’s experience, when it was found difficult to control the crowd, Smith'desired to keep the actual record-making run secret. It was after midday when the party arrived at the camp, 20 miles along the beach, where the “Anzac” was under cover. The tide was high, but the general conditions promised to be ideal. The overcast sky of the morning had cleared and there under a. blazing hot sun with the sand throwing up an almost stifling heat, preparations were mad? for the attempt. The tedious wait of nearly . a week for suitable conditions had finished. Final preparations were soon under way. By 2.30 p.m. the tide had fallen back considerably, and the trucks rumbled away to flag out the IC-mile track. SHIMMERING HEAT “Wizard” Smith inspected the beach. There were one or two patches of shell, but he did not consider these as being serious. A light breeze was blowing from off the sea, and the beach was clear of toheroa diggers. Shimmering heat waves danced far along the beach, but there was surprisingly little haze. At 5.30 p.m. Smith gave the word, and a willing band of workers pushed the “Anzac” on to the beach. A few preliminary turns of the startinghandle, and the “Anzac’s” pow'erful engine burst into a roar. A last quick glance over engine and tyres, and the “All Well” signal was given. Garbed in his white overalls, Smith climbed aboard with Harkness beside him. After the clutch-slip discovered during the run on Tuesday, the gears had been locked and it was possible for the car to be run only In top gear, al-

though she could be slipped into neu tral for starting. Th« “Anzac” was towed until she gathered speed and then, amid a crescendo of deafening blasts, she raced away to the far end of the beach near Maunganui Bluff. The haze had thickened a little now, but it was not serious, and Smith was able to pick up the flag line quite easily. The timekeepers took up their posts one behind the other, while the few spectators present, clustered behind them, and peering, into the distance. It seemed a long wait. The wind was freshening. Then someone heard a faint roar. It grew louder, and all eyes were turned along the beach, where it was possible to see for nearly two miles. THRILLING SPECTACLE "Here she comes.” The “Anzac” raced from out of the distant haze into sight, a dark speck rapidly growing larger until soon could be distinguished the "Anzac’s” golden lines. The timekeepers were kneeling down, their eyes fixed on a straight line drawn across the sand. The next moment the “Anzac” flashed past and disappeared along the beach. It was a fascinating and thrilling spec tacle. The timekeepers rushed to their cars and set off up the beach to confer w’ith those at the other end. Other cars followed, and it was an anxious band of spectators which waited about the official car until Smith arrived back in the “Anzac.” It was 7 p.m. when the head timekeeper announced the time. Everybody cheered. At last, after many days of disappointment, the 10-mile record had been broken, and something had been accomplished which would bring both New Zealand’s natural motor speedway and Australian engineers definitely to the fore. It was an outstanding test of endurance, probably of more value u> the engineering world than Sir Henry Segrave’s performance at Daytona Beach. Florida, when he reached the 231 miles an hour mark over one mile.