Rider Don Wales steered Project Runningblade into the history books, breaking the lawnmower land speed record twice in two days.
Wales said: "I am exhilarated, it will sink in that we have broken the world record. The team has worked really well and the guys at Countax and Kawasaki have done a fantastic job with this lawnmower. It is quite a bumpy ride as the sand has been quite soft today, so on a harder surface this machine will go faster."
The first attempt on Pendine Sands, Wales, pushed the record up to 86mph. But Wales went even further the next day, setting a new top speed of almost 88mph. The previous record was 80.792mph, set in the USA in 2006.
There are still plans to break the 100mph barrier, as headwinds and time limits put paid to the team's original plans to be the first to clock up triple digits on a lawnmower.
The rules of record attempts state the machine must be built primarily from lawnmower parts and be capable of cutting grass.
Don Wales is not the first in his family to achieve great speeds - his grandfather Sir Malcolm Campbell broke the land speed record in a car at the same venue in 1924.
The attempt was led by the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu.
The machine was built in Oxfordshire and included a Kawasaki engine and parts from Countax mowers.
Published: 27/05/2010
Source: http://www.hortweek.com
