Skegness Magazine

Source: Skegness News 1924

SKEGNESS SANDS FASTER THAN SALTBURN OR PENDINE

Malcolm Campbell Prepared to Attempt New Record in Skegness

FIVE MILE STRETCH WANTED

Mr Malcolm Campbell (left), the eminent racing motorist who a few days ago set up a world’s record on Pendine sands, Carmarthenshire, is prepared to come to Skegness to attempt to beat his mean record of 146 miles per hour, with and against the wind, if he can be given a stretch of hard sand, five miles long.

The question of creeks across need not necessarily prove a stumbling-block, as Mr. W. Greetham, the Chairman man of the Motor Races Grounds Committee, believes that he can “dam” all such.

The Secretary, Mr. Reginald J. G. Dutton, will be glad to hear of a five mile stretch, anywhere between here and Chapel St. Leonards.

It is obvious that a world’s speed record, set up in the Skegness district, would be a great advertisement for the resort. It may be mentioned that last June’s course, is not sufficiently long as it reaches soft sand against the Pier, and does not go quite as far as Gibraltar Point.
The Secrerary of the Skegness Motor Races wrote congratulating Mr. Campbell on his success, and has received the following reply:—

Dear Mr Dutton,

I am very much obliged to you for your [next few words illegible] and more than appreciate your kind congratulations contained therin.

As you state, the conditions prevailing at Pendine last week were of the worst possible description, as not only was it raining most of the time, but there was also a very, strong cross wind blowing on both the days these records were attempted; and in addition to this there were three large patches of soft wet sand which the car had to plough into on every record attempt.

This soft sand alone must have accounted for the loss of at least a second on every journey, and as one second at this speed means nearly 8 miles an hour, you can realise what my car would have done had the conditions been more favourable.

I much appreciate your Committee’s offer when they state that they would co-operate in helping to make all the necessary arrangements for further record attempts to be made at Skegness.

As a matter of fact, however, to ensure success and a really high speed I should definitely require five miles of course—i.e., one mile for the course itself, and a matter of two miles on either side of it, as records must be made both ways- and, therefore, the course itself must be in the middle of five-mile stretch; and I do not expect that you could find such a long stretch as this at Skegness.

I have now had quite oonsiderable experience in driving on sands, not only on the coast of this country, but also abroad; and I do think that the Skegness sand is very fast—much faster than that at Pennine, or at Saltburn; but the trouble with your sands is that the creeks will have to be dammed up; which is surely no small matter to contend with.

The principal trouble of racing on the, sands is that by the time, the Course is all marked out, and all the necessary arrangements carried out, the tide is usually coming in, and, therefore, there is very little time available in which to attack the records.

At Pendine, last week, on my last run, the tide was actually coming along very near the course; and I had to go through the sea before entering on the Mile Course itself.
I must admit that when I came down to Skegness and complained of the course in question, I did not think that it would be possible for your Surveyor to achieve what he did to the one creek and I think that the, work which he carried out was extremely creditable.
If, therefore, you think that you could possibly give me a stretch of really hard and smooth sand, about five miles long; and the creeks completely and successfully dammed up, I certainly might be prepared to come and have another shot; but whether I oould do so this year or I cannot say at the present moment.

I shall be racing in Paris on the new track next week; and immediately I come back the Motor Show will be open; and, therefore, I presume that the month of November would be too, late, owing to the unreliable state of the weather at that time.
With kind regrads and thanking you very much for your suggestion.
Yours sincerely,
M. CAMPBELL.

Video of the Skegness Sand Races in 1925 (enter the password ’skegness’ to view the video)

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