Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-05

H. o. d. Segrave piloted the
I'M Golden Arrow at 23l miles an
~ hour over the speed-burned sands
OF DaytOna Beach, most Ameri-
can authorities were willing to concede that the
auto speed record Of the world would be held
by an Englishman for long, long time
This opinion was strengthened short time
later when death overlook Ray Keech, former
world speed champion as he was attempting
to regain the record which Segrave had taken
from him.
No record has ever been set, however which
cannot be broken. And the first to announce
IN attempt to shatter Segrave's mark were his
own cOuntl ymen. The car a super streamline
Sunbeam, is now under construction In England
and will be piloted in March at Daytona Beach
by the noted British racer, Kaye Dom. It Is
tiny affair, compared with the Golden Arrow
Louis Coatalen, its designer, has held its width
to practically that Of the drivers shoulders and
Its greatest height above the ground to approx
mately 40 inches, but there are "a cylinders
capable Of developing 1900 horsepower.
Britain is not alone however, in its ambition
70 hold the world speed crown. An American
daredevil Of speed, Cliff Bergere, also Is pre-
pairing TO outwhizZ the Golden Arrow He
hopes to travel 240 miles hour-four miles
minute-over the same stretch of Florida sand
that Segrave covered so hastily.
Few men in America have snapped their
fingers at high speed dangers more often than
Bergere, so he Is well qualified to make the bid
for the record ii his car Is mechanically capable
Of furnishing the necessary speed. For 10
years he has driven racing cars at every OPP
portunity, and for the past i've years as q
movie stunt man has risked his life dozens of
times.
THE biggest stunt Of my career" is what
Bergere calls the world speed record attempt
he intends to make in February
"REcAUsE Of many factors which do not
wish to discuss, i cannot disclose the
name of the manufacturer who is backing me
that is, at present." Bergere says But plans
Tor the job have been completed and work
started on the car. As for the type of machine
I cannot go into detail, but feel sure it will
be capable of passing the 231-miIe record estab-
llshed by Maj. Segrave"
Daytona looms as a fitting goal for Bergere
after an acid test of eight years of fence
busting the California dirt trail and tvo
years OF spins Americas major speedway
circuit, mingled with five years of pulse-
qulckening work before clicking cameras ON
Hollywood movie lots
His daring, If nothing else should pull Ber-
gere over the Daytona strip at a record clip
HIS movie experiences and speedway exploits
all indicate how much nerves mean to Cliff
Bergere
Hao 1t not been for his willingness to take a
chance he probably would never have taken
his bow before the pickering camera. He had
preparing
Tor one OF the dirt track events he saw the
famous Omer Locklear, noted as a stunt man.
make change from an airplane to a moving
train.
Right away I saw a new thrill" Bergere
says. Il thought it would be great to get into
the movies and make these changes OF course
i got the impression it was an easy stunt that
all had to do was get In the plane Just like
1 would Pullman coach, wait till the ship
got within about 10 feet of the train and then
walk down the rope ladder just as though
were walking down pair Of stairs, and step
onto the train. Much to my surprise found
That 1t wasn't such easy stunt-when I
went to step on the train things began to
happen"
(LIFF went back to Hollywood and made his
rounds OF the casting directors Offices
holding high hopes for his chances for a new
thrill Although he had never attempted the
plane-train stunt-nor any other, to be exact
he told the casting directors he was expert
enced-had made many changes. Like all
hopefuls invading the movie colony with high
ambitions, Bergere didn't get a place right
away.
About month after making known his
experience" in stunt work Bergere was called
by Universal studios to double for the late
Fred Thompson In THE Eagles Talons" a
15-episode serial.
THE big thrill was when 1 was ordered to
come to work. But got just as big q thrill
when got up in that plane" Bergere admits
Il had been up only twice in my life, and never
out OF the seat SO you can imagine my en-
barassment when the pilot told me to get out