Mike Newman, a Business Manager at Barclays in Wilmslow, has spent the past few days preparing to take back the World Blind Landspeed Record at Pendine Sands in Carmarthenshire, whilst raising money for charity.
During this incredible event Mr Newman was planning to drive a British super car the Keating TKR, in an attempt to break the 200mph barrier and reclaim his title as the fastest blind man on the planet.
Unfortunately his car was damaged yesterday whilst he was practising on the seven mile stretch of sand and Mr Newman was forced to use a back up car today, which according to BBC News failed to go beyond 174mph.
Mike Newman has a thirst for speed and a deep fascination with motorsports. Partially blind from birth and now completely blind he has not allowed his disability to stop him achieving his ambitions.
Mr Newman has held many land speed records over the years, beginning in June of 2000 he broke the World Blind Land Speed Record by driving a motorcycle at an astonishing 89 mph. However Mike's ambition to be the fastest blind man on the planet didn't end there. Another record was set in August 2003, this time in a Jaguar XJ-R which he drove at an incredible 144.7mph and his next attempt was at Evington Aerodrome in a specially engineered BMW M5, during this attempt he reached a record breaking speed of 155mph.
However earlier this year a Turkish driver Metin Senturk broke Mike Newman's record by driving a Ferrari F430 at 183mph. With his new car, designed and manufactured by Keating Supercars Ltd in Manchester, Mr Newman had planned to drive at 200mph and reclaim his record. The infamous Pendine Sands was chosen for the location not only because of its history for land speed, but because the Speed of Sight team were keen to keep this attempt totally British.
Mike's ultimate aim is to raise money for Vision and Guide Dogs for the Blind.
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Capetonian Hein Wagner, who is blind from birth, drove the car accompanied by Ray Wakefield of Speedrecord S A as navigator.
Ray is an ex resident of Prestbury, near Macclesfield. (The Macc Express ran a report on this bid, I believe).
The record, which was run as nearly as possible under the international rules of land speed record breaking, was observed by a number of prominent persons, and has generally been accepted by the record breaking community.
The Guinness Book of World Records organisation was not asked to observe, or accept the documentary proof gathered during the attempt as they will only entertain a record set by an unaccompanied blind driver, or a sighted person wearing a blindfold.
Mr. Wagner and Speedrecord S A are of the opinion that the former case carries an unnecessary element of danger, whilst the latter case of a blindfolded driver serves merely to cheapen any effort made by a genuinely blind person who is trying to compete on a level as close as possible in a sport more usually the preserve of the sighted.
I would add that the team of Wagner and Wakefield have also taken part in a ¼ mile drag, and in February this year, lapped the East London Grand Prix circuit in a time which was lower than that of the two slowest cars in the conventional saloon car race held at the circuit later in the day.
We wish Mike and his team the best of luck in their forthcoming Guinness attempt at the World one mile record. We know probably better than anyone what it takes, and we admire his endeavour. However if, and when, he breaks the 200 mph barrier, he will not be the first blind man to have done so. I’m afraid we got there first.