24-5-69 On Way to Record BROWNLI The 5.9 litre Begg Special thunders down the sealed highway near Christcharch to-day on its way to a new New Zealand car land speed recora. The streamlined New Zealand-built special broke by 5 miles an hour, a record established by the Stanton brothers on the Tram Road in November, 1958. ETS A NEW SPEED MARK OF 177 m.p.n. DRIVING a 5.9 litre Begg sports car, the South Otago driver Laurence Brownlie set a new New Zealand car land speed record on the East Eyreton highway, eighteen miles from Christchurch to-day. Twenty-five-year-old Brown- Brownlie said afterwards he West Otago, reached 6200 revs on the way. lie, from Kelso, up, and 6400 coming back. was driving the car for the "She was flat on the return first time. run, but I'm sure she could The new provisional re have gone faster than that," cord of 177.9 miles an hour he said. betters the 11-year-old record of the Stanton brothers Handled Well by more than 5 miles an hour. He averaged 177.9 miles an One of the first to offer con- hour (12.575sec) over the two gratulations to-day, Maurice runs, and the car handled Stanton established the prev- well. ious record of 173.8 mules an He said later that birds on hour on November 8, 1956, the course were a worry. An attempt on the D class The big car is usually driven (2000 to 3000 c.c.) record by by Geofi Mardon, of Christthe 3-litre Ferrari GTO failed church, and won the feature by about 5 miles an hour to sports car race at Ruapuna break the present record of last week-end. 157.4 miles an hour estab- The Begg was built by fished by Frank Shuter i c Laurence Brownlie George Begg, of Southland, in Maserati on March 21, 1959. January this year. Mr Begg pushed the former racing car had travelled to racing circuits returned with First Run to 7500 revs (155.1 miles an overseas aua hour). many parts and ideas from In todays early morning at-i To achieve a record, the Bruce Mclaren. tempts over the kilometre, the cars must make two runs over Ferrari, driven by the North, the kilometre within an hour. Surprise Islander, Don McDonald, in its and the average of the The sleek yeliow Begg, a first run, was timed at 15.43 runs must better the previous sec (1449 miles an hour). The record by 1 per cent. surprise starter in to-day's V12 Ferrari had been fitted: attempts, has the body of a with larger tyres and was run- Final Run Mclaren similar to the type ning well. - used in the 1967 Can-Am series Brownlie followed with a On its final run, with the by the famous New Zealander. The engineering and mechpractice run back down the pose of the car appearing to course, but the Begg was weav- lift slightly, the Ferrari anical construction was done ing, and accordmg to aim, was clocked 149.6 miles an hour, by Bryan Taylor, of Invercar- "starting to dive" at 145 miles but did not attempt a second gil, and the chassis was built an hour. Begg. run. 'Mechancis made minor Its average speed was 152.3 Preparation for to-day's adjustments to correct this, miles an hour-about five run was started only on and in the next run Brownlie miles below the record. Thursday night. said: "That's a hell of a lot Timed at 12.83 seconds After to-day's record better. (174.4 miles an hour) on its Begg announced he was bring- At 8.50 am. the Ferraril first ear-shattering westward ing a man from overseas to made its first timed run. Pull-l the Begg • considerably work with him in building ing 7000 revs it was timed ati bettered this with a time of Formula A cars for the New 144.9 miles an hour over the 12.32sec (181.6 miles an Zealand market. kilometre. On the faster down- hour) coming back down