BLIND DRIVER ROARS TO A WORLD RECORD

                                                                                       
It is a feat no ordinary motorist would attempt. 

 But Mike Newman is no ordinary motorist.

The 42 year old bank official averaged 144.7 mph yesterday – and roared into the record books as the fastest blind driver of a car in the world.

After climbing out of his supercharged Jaguar XJR, Mr Newman, who was born with glaucoma and went totally blind at eight, said: ‘It was brilliant.  I am ecstatic.  I think I am probably going to cry later.`

The record was achieved over two runs in opposite directions on a 1.9 mile former aircraft runway at Elvington near York.  Mr Newman was guided via a radio link with his stepfather, also Mike Newman, in a chase vehicle four car lengths behind.

The Jaguar whined like a jet engine as its supercharger powered the vehicle over the first half mile to more than 135 mph.

Then on-board computers, linked to satellite navigation equipment in the chase car, began monitoring a measured mile as the acceleration continued.  A cloud of black smoke from the rear of the car then signalled its fierce braking.
 

The first run, into a sharp breeze, was logged at 142.8 mph.  On the return leg, with the following wind, Mr Newman topped 150 mph to produce an average of 144.7 mph.

‘The car behaved fabulously – it was tremendously noisy, but it was a smooth ride even though my heart was pounding,` said Mr Newman, who lives in Manchester and is a small business manager for Barclays.

After trial runs in other cars, he borrowed the Jaguar from a dealership and only had two days` practice in it.  His stepfather, a driving instructor, said: ‘He was excellent.  He`s the best pupil I`ve ever had.`

While Mr Newman is the fastest unsighted driver of a car (the previous record was 141 mph), the overall blind land speed record of 165 mph was set earlier this month by Billy Baxter on a motorbike.

Courtesy Daily Mail – Thursday 14 August 2003