Usually setting a world record is a matter of hard work and determination. Sometimes it’s just two guys having fun.
In 2012, two friendly athletes, professional golfer Jake Shepherd and Formula 1 racer David Coulthard got together with Mercedes-Benz to break a record which, until then, had been a matter of accident: the farthest golf ball hit into a moving car.
Unlike the typical way those shots happen, which is into the vehicle of an unsuspecting (and soon to be quite irate) driver, this was an arranged shot which featured a convertible with mounted cameras and a golfer who knew exactly where he was going to place the ball.
Rather than perform in the usual location (a golf course) for a ball to be hit into a car, a small patch of grass and tee were created in a box which was then brought to a commercial airfield. The car was raced down the length of the airstrip, allowing it to get to speeds approaching 200 mph.
They managed to achieve their goal, making some commercial footage for Mercedes-Benz along the way.
The record is likely to stand, outside of another specially designed attempt akin to this one… if only because few groundskeepers are likely to appreciate vehicles travelling at 178 mph across the greens.
Question of the night: What was your first car?
