Belfast Students Aim to Emulate Burt Munro Record

A team of Queen’s University undergraduate engineers will attempt to emulate the 1967 land speed record New Zealander Burt Munro set on his modified Indian Scout motorcycle at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

The group from Belfast is hoping to break Munro’s record and take their specially designed vehicle to the same location next August with a target of 230-250mph. The “Project Velocity” team plans to incorporate Munro’s name and his record speed in the name of the vehicle to ensure his memory lives on.

One of the team, Sam Marsden, who is no stranger to adversity having been diagnosed with severe dyslexia, is spearheading the challenge and said the story of Munro had helped inspire him to follow a career in engineering.

“Engineering has a special place in Northern Ireland history and is at the heart of everything we do and every product we use,” Marsden said.

“We want to put Northern Ireland engineering in the spotlight and show the importance and value of careers in manufacturing and engineering.”

Original article by Clare Weir, Belfast Telegraph, September 8, 2014.

Photo from Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand.