Evans wants land speed record back

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Evans wants land speed record back

3News NZ

The previous record holder, Owen Evans, announced he wants the record back

The previous record holder, Owen Evans, announced he wants the record back

By Ingrid Hipkiss

The New Zealand land speed record was broken by Aucklander Eddie Freeman today after he hit 355.485km/h at Ohakea Airbase.

But just hours later, the previous record holder, Owen Evans, announced he wants the record back – even though the last attempt nearly cost him his life.

Today's record was set in a heavily modified Lamborghini Superleggera on the runway at Ohakea, beating the previous record by about 7km/h. But that record was set by Owen Evans on a narrow country road.

“Ohakea Airbase [is] definitely a lot easier than where we did it,” says Evans. “So I don’t know. I'm starting to get itchy feet. We got a new motor in our car we got about four years ago. We got about 930 horsepower now, so quite a bit faster than we had last time.”

Last time was 1996 and it nearly ended in tragedy. The Porshe left the road and somersaulted. Evans got the record, but ended up in intensive care.

“I'm definitely keen to regain it,” says Evans. “[I have] just got to get past one little hurdle – my wife. I'm sure the boys are behind me and keen to go, but she went through a lot when it all happened.”

Even his support crew at the time said “never again”.

“Once was enough,” says Bill Fulford of Evans’ 1996 support team. “It was an unfortunate accident and for sure we won't be out there doing it again.”

But that was then and this is now, and there's a record to win back.

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Comments

30/10/2012 3:52:04 a.m.

Bevan wrote:

Bazman, do you realise how much power that Lambo 4WD sucks from the motor before it puts any power to the ground??!! HP means nothing, it sells cars but it dnt win races, thats what Torque does. If Eddie thinks he has what it takes then why dnt he go to the road Owen used and do a flying mile and smash that record, then he will take the trophy from Owen. Puttin your foot flat on a runway is pretty easy, im sure Owen would happily even put his son in the car to go down a runway!! Im not a Owne Evans fan, mainly cos I dnt like Porsches and I would have rather seen a V8 out in front of the Wellington Street race, but there is no way you can compare Owen's mile on a narrow country road to Eddies km on a MASSIVELY wide FLAT runway!!!!

29/10/2012 7:34:22 p.m.

Joe wrote:

To me I feel that Eddie has beaten him already because given an extra 0.6km to make it a mile that lambo would just keep going. So I think he should be a man admit defeat and pass the trophy on to Eddie or try beat him!!!! Even better race each other same time :)

29/10/2012 4:44:31 p.m.

Bazman wrote:

Won't happen. 930hp and rear wheel drive on a runway is not going to be even close to enough to break that record. The car also has to stop. The Lambo has far more power and all wheel drive. In better conditions it could top 400kph on that track. Evans will need 1500hp to be there.

27/10/2012 11:53:30 p.m.

Ruz wrote:

Does anybody actually care?