A new attempt on the Land-speed record ended in disaster at the weekend when the vehicle entered the Smalltown Soft Sand Stakes by mistake.
The car, a lightly modified Fiat 500, nicknamed ‘Dodo’ and driven by Ronald Mcdonald, had been due to make an attempt on the record on Saturday, driving at break-neck speed across a set course on Smalltown beach.
A spokesspoke for the Dodo Racing Team said “Unfortunately Ronald was dazzled by the strong sun reflecting on the mud and mistook the entrance area for the Soft Sand Stakes for the start of the speed record attempt. The wheels of the Dodo sank deep into the sand and it was only thanks to the efforts of some passers-by that we were able to extract it.
The car sustained substantially damage during the incident, with sand entering the engine bay and interior. This additional weight meant that we’ve had to call off the attempt until we’ve had a chance to get the Dyson out and effect repairs.”