Landsail Tyres has extended its title sponsorship of disabled driving charity, Speed of Sight, for a second year.

The Manchester-based charity uses the partnership to give more car enthusiasts with disabilities the chance to enjoy the thrill of driving on a track day using a dual control kit car so they could go out with an instructor. The charity was co-founded by Mike Newman who was born blind but who overcame that to take the world record for the fastest speed driven by a man blindfolded (200.51mph) and the fastest speed piloting a boat blindfolded (93.58mph). Mike said that the support of Landsail was very important to the charity’s work: “I have always loved speed and in particular being in control of speed but as a blind person feeding that passion is challenging. What Speed Of Sight does is make it much easier for individuals who may not be able to independently experience high-speed driving to enjoy the thrill of a track day. “Having the support of an organisation like Landsail Tyres, which really understands what we are doing and more importantly, why we are doing it, is important. The nature of life is that to run a charity like this there are costs to meet and equipment we need. Partnering with Landsail, a brand that truly gets what our mission is, is a great step for us because we are working with a business that shares our goals.” Peter Cross, Landsail’s UK Commercial Manager, said the tyre brand had forged a strong relationship with Speed of Sight over the past 12 months and was proud to extend the partnership. “There is a perfect synergy between Landsail, a tyre brand that is trusted by millions, and Speed of Sight, where the service users place their trust completely in professional race drivers to advise and – in certain cases – navigate for them. “In just a year this partnership has become incredibly important to us. We have seen first hand the impact the volunteers’ work has on those who apply for track days. “It is a very emotional experience for disabled people, whether they’ve had to stop driving or have never been able to, to go out with Speed of Sight and take control of a performance car. Working with them to help offer that feeling to a growing number of people is special, and we take enormous pride in seeing Speed of Sight continue to thrive.”