Joseph Whitaker School pupils' car to attempt speed record

A team of schoolchildren has been conducting final tests for a world record attempt involving a rocket-powered model car.

Pupils at The Joseph Whitaker School, Nottinghamshire, claim their car has hit 415mph (667.8 kmph) in tests, much faster than the current record.

Phil Worsley, the teacher in charge of the Young Engineers club, said the team was "super confident" of success.

Final tests take place on Sunday with the world record attempt in October.

The team, which includes teachers and a number of secondary school pupils, has been working on the project for about a year.

Mr Worsley said the Young Engineers club, based at the school in Rainworth, was "amazing" and had been "developing every ounce of their engineering abilities" through the rocket car project.

The cars, which are about 45cm (17in) long and constructed from carbon fibre, run on titanium wheels and are guided by a 250m (820ft) steel cable.

All parts have been stuck together with super glue and at the end of each run, they come to a stop by using small parachutes.

Mr Worsley said while he was being "pragmatic" about the group's chances of breaking the record, he said one of the cars could potentially reach a speed of about 600mph (965.6 kmph).

All the cars were tested on Rolls Royce's runway in Hucknall after the group ran out of space on the school's tennis courts.

The current record is held by Samvir Thandi, and the Heathland School, Middlesex, whose car reached 287.6mph (462.84 kmph) at the Santa Pod Raceway, Northamptonshire, in March.