NEW LAND SPEED RECORD FOR BLIND DRIVER

Blind driver Steve Cunningham claimed an astonishing land speed record yesterday when he blasted down the runway at RAF Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire, in a 180 mph supercar.

Despite atrocious weather conditions, Steve averaged 147.56 miles per hour over a measured mile behind the wheel of an 8,000cc Chrysler Viper. This shattered the previous record for a blind driver which stood at 135.2 mph.

Steve has been completely blind since the age of 12. As he drove the �69,000 V-10 engined supercar his passenger and 'eyes', Peter Colmer Gwynne - a professional rally driving instructor - shouted directions through an intercom system inside their crash helmets.

Months of training went into the record attempt. Steve and Peter first practised with Viper world motor racing champion Justin Bell and used the high-tech fitness facilities at the Benetton Formula 1 headquarters to attain the fitness levels needed for the attempt.

"When we set out to do this we knew it would take a lot of hard work but it has certainly been worth the effort," said a jubilant Steve after the record breaking run, which was timed by Benetton's engineers. Details of the record are now being passed to the Guinness Book of Records for inclusion in the famous book of outstanding achievements. Steve, 36, lives in Banbury with his wife Heather, daughters Megan and Katie, and guide dog Hughie. He's never allowed the loss of his sight to get in the way of leading a normal life and has a range of sporting achievements including running, soccer and ice skating. He turned to Chrysler Jeep Imports UK for help to launch his record bid because the 450 bhp Chrysler Viper is one of the most potent sports cars in the world.

But breaking the speed record was only part of Steve's aim as he also wants to break down pre-conceptions of what blind people can achieve. The blind speed challenge has also raised money for Guide Dogs for the Blind and the British Blind Sports Association.

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