[HotRodSaint]

Now here’s a different slant on the land speed record – the blind land speed record. Mike Newman, the current World Blind Land Speed record holder and his Speed of Sight team have now set October 11 as the date of their World Blind Land Speed record. The date coincides with World Sight Day on the 13th October 2005 and the team will attempt to better the existing record of 144.7mph with the aim of pushing the record above 200mph. Using a BMW M5 with the 155mph electronic restrictions removed, the team expects the otherwise standard car is expected to top 205mph, using the runway at Elvington Airfield in York, UK

 

[Stoneage_Caddy]

that cane of his beatter be carbon fiber ....feeling around @ 200 is tricky ...

his run in the MGF was very interesting to watch ...

i thinkt he words of one of my driving coaches says it best .....if you feel the rumble strips you gone too damned far

 

[davesdeville]

Wait, what's so special about a blind person doing those speeds? Can't they just hold the wheel straight and floor it?

 

[Stoneage_Caddy]

nope , theres quite a few inputs needed at 150 , let alone 200 , plus you have to worry about air currents and everything else that can silightly change the cars course ....keep the car stright for miles ....were not talking 1/4 mi ....but miles , so if the wheel was held stight and something caused the car to change coarse by a little one foot turns into 20-30 feet at the end of the coarse , and at 200 it isnt a good idea to leave pavement ...

 

[davesdeville]

Are they doing it on a road or out on a dry lakebed or what?

 

[Spyder]

I thijkn it said they're gonna be on a runway somewhere in the UK!?

 

[davesdeville]

OK, duh it did say it was on a runway. Must not have read too closely. They should fly over to Bonneville salt flats and try it there.

 

[HotRodSaint]

OK, duh it did say it was on a runway. Must not have read too closely. They should fly over to Bonneville salt flats and try it there.

I think that Bonneville would be a little more forgiving to a blind man than a runway!

 

[Spyder]

I don't think a blind man should be flying anywhere!

 

[HotRodSaint]

Blind Land Speed Record achieved

On Tuesday October 11th 2005 at Evington Aerodrome near York, Mike Newman rewrote his World Blind Land Speed Record, driving alone in a BMW M5. The 507hp M5 powered to an average speed of 167.32mph over a measured mile in both directions, being the Guinness criterion for the record. In the process, Mike hit a peak speed of 178.5mph. After breaking the record, Mike Newman said: "This is dedicated to the charity VISION 2020: The Right To Sight on World Sight Day. The aim of VISION 2020 is to eradicate the world of preventable and avoidable blindness by the year 2020."

 

[Spyder]

Quite a bit short of his goal, but still impressive as hell! Do you think it was a limitation of the vehicle which kept him from running faster?!

 

[ShadowLvr400]

The M5 probably hits a wall after 150... plus I doubt it has the downforce to be stable much above 170...

 

[HotRodSaint]

I think his dog got scared!

 

[davesdeville]

That was bad HRS

I told you an M5 isn't hitting 200...