Capetonian Hein Wagner has been given the use of a Maserati GranSport Coupe for his attempt next month to become the world’s fastest blind driver.
Viglietti Motors in Cape Town, importers of Ferrari and Maserati, agreed to provide the R1,5-million vehicle for Wagner’s land-speed-record attempt, the National Council for the Blind said on Monday.
Wagner (33) welcomed the sponsorship and the fact that the car’s formula-one-style gear-shift paddles are on the steering column.
”A floor shift would force me to move my hand from the wheel and that would disrupt my rhythm,” he said in a statement. ”Another advantage is that the Maserati’s gearbox changes down automatically when you slow down or brake.
”That will also make it a lot simpler and safer, because I won’t have to shift down to stop.”
Wagner said he will aim to get as close as possible to a speed of 300kph in his attempt at a Mafikeng airfield in the North West on September 8. He hopes the attempt will find its way into the Guinness World Records book.
The current record is held by Mike Newman, a blind bank manger from Cheshire in the United Kingdom, at 233kph.
Wagner is a motivational speaker by profession, and has been blind since birth.
He has competed in a number of marathons, has climbed the 10 highest mountains in the Western Cape, has Western Province colours in athletics and has taken part in the Cape-to-Rio yacht race.
He was a member of the South African blind cricket team who won the sport’s first-ever World Cup in India in 1998.
The council said Wagner is still looking for fuel and travelling sponsorships for him and his team.
”We support him completely in his attempt to realise his dream,” council CEO Jill Wagner said. ”Hein’s attempt at the land-speed record is another way of showing how blind people can exceed expectations.”
Ray Wakefield, a 62-year-old retired engineer from Port Elizabeth, is to act as Wagner’s navigator on the day. — Sapa