A Fine Achievement

A Fine Achievement

N Tuesday, August 29th, Forrest Lycett established a record at Brooklands which Percy Bradley enthusiastically described as” a record record.” Driving down from town in his city bowler hat and the famous 8-litre Bentley, Lycett raised the British Class B standing mile record to 92.9 m.p.h. It fortnerly stood to the credit of Parry Thomas and the Leyland-Thomas at 88.47 m.p.h. Lycett had one practice flip and then went straight out, completed his two-way runs along the Byfleet and the Railway Straight, and, saying he had had enough for one day, went quietly home with the record under the Bentley’s bonnet. The car, he said, would probably have been even quicker on a cooler day, and if the front suspension had been better suited to pulling early off the Byfleet when running in the clockwise direction. The getaway was less impressive than usual, because the 2.6 to 1 axle ratio was in use, but the line was crossed at approximately 135 m.p.h., and Lycett sets his absolute maximum as 140 m.p.h. The car, attended by McKenzie’s blue 4i-litre and the mechanics in a Big Six tourer, ran sans front brakes and with a half-cover over the cockpit. It was stripped very quickly indeed, and the bonnet was only lifted for removal of the starter motor.