Anyone who has ever perused the Guinness Book of World Records knows that there is an entry for just about anything imaginable and plenty more things you just haven't yet wrapped your head around. There is apparently even a land speed record for bank managers. Well, blind bank managers, anyway. Mike Newman failed yesterday to become the first blind person to crest the 200 miles-per-hour barrier when his (unnamed) Nissan failed to accelerate beyond 174 mph. Newman's failed attempt on the UK's Pendine Sands came after his original steed, a 260mph Keating TKR was somehow damaged prior to the race. The Daily Mail reports that there were "hundreds" of spectators on hand to root on Newman in his quest to hit 200 mph.
Blind driving sounds pretty unhinged to us, but this competition isn't anything new. Newman himself was at one time the unsighted speed champ, as the man from Manchester hit 182 mph in a BMW M5. Blind Turkish pop singer Metin Senturk later broke the record by taking a Ferrari F430 to 183mph. In this case, Newman made his attempt on a four-mile stretch of hard-packed beach at Pendine Sands with only a radio link from his father in a helicopter overhead to guide him.
Sighted or not, reaching speeds of 174 mph is an experience most will never get to experience. But if you ask us, that's not even Newman's most impressive feat by a long shot. The bank manager currently holds the record for the fastest motorcycle time by a blind person for hitting 89mph on a 1,000cc Aprilia Falco. Now that's either gutsy or completely crazy – probably a mixture of both, and that's something we can get behind.
Newman has vowed to fix the Keating for a second attempt which could come later this month. In the meantime, you can learn more about Mike and his remarkable quest by checking out the video after the jump, or by checking out his Speed of Sight website, which includes details on how he raises money for Vision and Guide Dogs for the Blind.
[Sources: Daily Mail; Speed of Sight; YouTube]
Blind driving sounds pretty unhinged to us, but this competition isn't anything new. Newman himself was at one time the unsighted speed champ, as the man from Manchester hit 182 mph in a BMW M5. Blind Turkish pop singer Metin Senturk later broke the record by taking a Ferrari F430 to 183mph. In this case, Newman made his attempt on a four-mile stretch of hard-packed beach at Pendine Sands with only a radio link from his father in a helicopter overhead to guide him.
Sighted or not, reaching speeds of 174 mph is an experience most will never get to experience. But if you ask us, that's not even Newman's most impressive feat by a long shot. The bank manager currently holds the record for the fastest motorcycle time by a blind person for hitting 89mph on a 1,000cc Aprilia Falco. Now that's either gutsy or completely crazy – probably a mixture of both, and that's something we can get behind.
Newman has vowed to fix the Keating for a second attempt which could come later this month. In the meantime, you can learn more about Mike and his remarkable quest by checking out the video after the jump, or by checking out his Speed of Sight website, which includes details on how he raises money for Vision and Guide Dogs for the Blind.
[Sources: Daily Mail; Speed of Sight; YouTube]
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