Wacky racers feel need for speed on beach
THRILL-CHASERS driving motorbikes, scooters, a shed and a monowheel pitted themselves against sand and tide in an effort to break world speed records on a historic Welsh beach yesterday.
Around 60 participants descended on Pendine Sands, Carmarthenshire, which was first used for a world land speed record by Sir Malcolm Campbell in 1924, for the Straightliners “Top Speed” event.
Drivers from the UK, France and Holland tested themselves on the one-mile or 1km course in an attempt to break British, European and world speed records.
Each attempt was recorded and the record-chasers could have as many goes as time and tide would permit, queuing up for a second attempt after completing the first.
Describing why people take part, organiser and founder of Straightliners, Trevor Duckworth, 72, said: “It’s like anything, it’s the challenge.
“There is a combination of challenges, sometimes it’s quite dangerous, there’s a challenge there to do it.
“If there’s a record there and somebody breaks it, it is like doing any human endeavour.
“There is something to achieve. The other thing that isn’t recognised is the mechanical scale and technical ability, people just want to achieve great technical things.
“Pendine has a very, very long history of speed events and that makes it special.”