Wigram TrophyMotor racing at Wigram airfield · Christchurch · 1949–2000
Home › Archive › 1990 › Danger no worry to 'speed freak'
← 24 Jan 1990All 1990 pages26 Jan 1990 →
Scan of the clipping page, 25 January 1990
↗
Drag to move · scroll or pinch to zoom
feature · The Press · Patrick McLennan

Danger no worry to 'speed freak'

Auckland's Heather Spurle, holder of the women's world water speed record (212km/h), was in Christchurch to race her Canon Ralt RT4 in the Lady Wigram Trophy race at Ruapuna. Aged 28 with 12 years of car racing, she set the first official women's water speed record on Lake Karapiro on 23 April 1989 in The Boss, and was the first New Zealand woman in Formula Pacific.

Facts

  • Heather Spurle set the first official women's water speed record (212km/h) at Lake Karapiro on 23 April 1989 in the hydroplane The Boss.
  • Heather Spurle was the first woman driver from New Zealand to compete in the international Formula Pacific class.

Photos

  • The women's world water-speed record holder (212 km/h), Heather Spurle, of Auckland, in Christchurch yesterday testing the feel of a boat being built by Peter Knight, sen., which could be used to extend her record on Lake Ruataniwha in May.
Read the OCR text
....3 By PATRICK MCLENNAN The holder of the women's world water speed record (212km/h), Ms Heather Spurle, of Auckland, says the danger skimming across lakes at bigh speeds does not worry her unduly. "Id be silly if I didn't think about the danger, but worry? No. You accept the risks that are involved," she said. Ms Spurle was in Christchurch yesterday preparing to race her Canon Ralt RT4 in the Lady Wigram Trophy Race, a round of the Formula Pacific motor racing series, on Sunday. Ms Spurle, aged 28, has been racing cars for 12 years, and a performance in the Wigram race last year led to Peter Knight, sen, asking her to test The Boss, a grand prix hydroplane, for him. She had had no previous experience racing power boats and it was a surprise to be asked. On April 23, 1989, at Lake Karapiro, Ms Spurie set the first official women's water speed record - a creditable feat because the boat had been damaged in racing the week before. As a racer of power boats and cars, Ms Spurle says she "must be a speed freak." "It's a challenge, and really, ! enjoy any sort of challenge," she said. Ms Spurle was also the first woman driver from New Zealand to compete in the international Formula Pacific class of motor racing. In a sense her achievements were "ground-breaking," she said. But there was no reason why a girl could not drive a car or boat as well as a man. "Certainly there are physical limitations, but there are ways around that," she said. What a woman lacked in ager nO worry to 'speed freak' wink The women's world water-speed record holder (212 km/h), Heather Spurle, of Auckland, in Christe testing the feel of a boat being built by Peter Knight, sen., which could be used to extend her Ruataniwha in May. church yesterday record on Lake rawn could be made up ior with inesse. M: Spurle said she was aware Gina Campbell's proposed Grid water speed record at- cerned by it. "With a name like that, who better to come to try and take the record? She's got e boat that's every bit as good as ours." But she and Mr Krish: had decided not make another attempt on the record until May. The power boat racing season would then be over and they could attack it with a fresh boat and equipment. Ms Spurle yesterday tested a new boat being designed by the Knight Racing Team. She is not sure yet whether that will be raced in the record attempt, or The Boss.

Summaries and tables are machine-read from the scan and may contain errors: the scan is the record.