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Mike Newman 'breaks blind land speed record' | Mike Newman 'breaks blind land speed record' |
(about 13 hours later) | |
A former bank manager has claimed to have broken the blind land speed record by driving at an average speed of 186mph. | |
Mike Newman, from Manchester, believes he has reclaimed the record from Turkish pop singer Metin Senturk, who achieved 182mph in April 2010. | |
Mr Newman was driving at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground, in Leicestershire. | |
The 52-year-old and his Speed of Sight team now intend to get the blind water speed record in the same year. | |
This would make Mr Newman the first blind person to hold both records simultaneously. | This would make Mr Newman the first blind person to hold both records simultaneously. |
'Very bumpy' | |
Experts verified the speed using a laptop linked up to satellites. The data will be sent to the Guinness Book of Records to authenticate. | |
Mr Newman said he felt "ecstatic" to have broken the land record. | Mr Newman said he felt "ecstatic" to have broken the land record. |
"I've worked hard today and I've enjoyed driving the car," he said. | "I've worked hard today and I've enjoyed driving the car," he said. |
"This was challenging because the surface is very bumpy and you don't realise how bumpy it is until you are going over it at such a speed." | "This was challenging because the surface is very bumpy and you don't realise how bumpy it is until you are going over it at such a speed." |
He drove with the help of a navigator who gave information over a radio link, and he did several test runs during the day. | He drove with the help of a navigator who gave information over a radio link, and he did several test runs during the day. |
"I knew I had got it on the last one," said Mr Newman. | "I knew I had got it on the last one," said Mr Newman. |
"Everything worked right and when I was in sixth gear I knew I was going quick enough." | "Everything worked right and when I was in sixth gear I knew I was going quick enough." |
Mr Newman, who was born blind, used to be a business manager with Barclays but now runs his Speed of Sight charity full-time. | Mr Newman, who was born blind, used to be a business manager with Barclays but now runs his Speed of Sight charity full-time. |
He hopes to encourage disabled people to get involved in motor sport. | He hopes to encourage disabled people to get involved in motor sport. |
His charity has designed and built the first of 10 specially-adapted track cars fitted with dual controls, twin steering wheels, hand controls and a hoist to assist people in and out of the car if required. | |
Mr Newman said he hoped to "give other people the excitement I've enjoyed today with the cars we're building". | Mr Newman said he hoped to "give other people the excitement I've enjoyed today with the cars we're building". |
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