Speed Record Included In Encyclopaedia Britannica

Seattle, WA (April 15, 2001) - Encyclopaedia Britannica, currently working on 15th and 16th edition of print sets said they plan to include Russ Wicks' World Water Speed Record in the upcoming edition.   The feature, complete with photographs by Patrick Haskett, will be out by the end of the year.

"It's an honor to be listed in such a fine history reference book," Russ Wicks said.   "It says a lot about our sport and the uniqueness of breaking the record for Encyclopaedia Britannica to choose to tell our story."

Wicks, who averaged 205.494 mph, broke the World Speed Record for a propeller driven boat on June 15, 2000 while driving the U-25 Miss Freei unlimited hydroplane.   The speed run ended the longest-standing major speed record in motorsports history, that stood for 38 years.

Encyclopaedia Britannica has long been a supporter of unlimited hydroplane racing having featured both the Gold Cup and Seattle's Seafair races in past editions.

Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Encyclopaedia Britannica is a leading provider of information, learning, and knowledge in digital media.

Since the Encyclopaedia Britannica's founding in 1768, Britannica editors have gathered and organized information on thousands of topics for easy retrieval.   More than 200 years later, Encyclopędia Britannica is still the standard by which other reference works are judged.

For more information on Encyclopaedia Britannica: www.britannica.com