Cruising on a Land Mower

Don Wales is hoping to add another chapter to the history of the illustrious speed dynasty that began when Sir Malcolm gained the world speed record on land and on water during the 1920s and 1930s.Wales and his bluebird team   were looking to break the 137 mph barrier  set in the year 2000 by Wales himself.

So the later was looking to break his own record there by pushing limits   and going that extra length  to reap in more success. And he did receive some relief   by aiming good benchmarks for himself in the process.  Driver Don Wales reached an average speed of 87.833mph (141.353) km/h on his Kawasaki-powered Countax ride-on machine, after first cutting a patch of grass to prove he was riding a lawnmower - setting the new world record for the  Fastest Landmower ever.

The previous world record for the  fastest  land mower  was 80.792mph (130.022km/h), set in 2006 by Bob Cleveland on the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. Wales wanted to achieve a speed in excess of 150 mph at Pendine Sands but however was able to supersede his previous record set in 2000 and the record set in 2006 by Cleveland. The sand conditions on the track meant that the going had to be slow and the repeated trials were being hampered by headwinds making it tougher for the driver to reach his goal. But Wales was not a man to  get disturbed so fast. After all he hails from a family of speedsters so that passion definitely runs in his blood too. After a  lot of meticulous preparations with course inspections and test drives he finally set off on a  breezy afternoon.  Once all preparations were complete, the record attempts took place over a measured mile in one direction, with the driver returning within an hour.  Mrs. Hansley Boyd the spokesperson for the Bluebird team said was pretty uncertain as to where they were heading towards from that point but 100 mph seemed  the target everybody aspired to achieve.

Don Wales’s grandfather and uncle both of whom hold world  speed records on both land and water. They have broken more than 20 land and water speed records. But none of them had ever tried to do it on a land mower.  The passion to speed runs in their family and Wales is receiving  tough competition from his own teenage son Joe who is also into racing  the battery powered vehicle.

 Mr. Wales' team has been working with Countax Ltd, based at Great Haseley, near Thames , on the high-spec machine, which includes parts from three different Countax mowers. Project Runningblade has raised "significant" funds for the Wessex Heartbeat charity, which supports the Wessex Cardiac Centre at Southampton General Hospital.

The Fastest Land Mower at 141.353 Km/Hr was set by Don Wales at Pendine Sands in Wales, United Kingdom on May 26,2010.