Former rally driver Peter Wood, who lost his sight 13 years ago, drove nearly 128 mph Sunday in recording the first land speed record for a blind person.
Wood, 46, roared across the Pendine Sands, west Wales, chasing Sir Malcolm Campbell's first land speed record of 146.46 mph set in 1924.Although he failed to match that speed, Wood did set his own, unique, record as a blind man by reaching a speed of 127.97 mph.
With his son Tom, 25, in the passenger seat acting as his eyes and navigator, Wood made four runs over a measured kilometer (0.62 mile) driving a turbo-charged Ford Sierra Cosworth.
Wood, of St. Albans, north of London, said: "It was a great feeling to be back behind the wheel again and I'm quite pleased with the result.
"At least I have set a good challenge for another blind person to try and beat. Going blind can be a lonely experience and I wanted to show blind people that life does not come to a full stop when you lose your sight."
The current land speed record is 633.5 mph set by Briton Richard Noble at Black Rock Desert, Nevada, in 1983.