Guy Martin escapes crash during 300mph record run

World land speed record attempt goes wrong – but Martin walks away uninjured

Guy Martin escapes crash during 300mph record run

Who better to break the two-wheeled world land speed record than plucky northerner, Guy Martin? The motorbike racer, truck mechanic and TV presenter escaped uninjured this weekend when his Triumph Infor Rocket Streamliner lost control after hitting a patch of damp salt during a 300mph test-run.

Martin has a history of bad luck. He was meant to attempt to break the 376mph world record last year but, in a perhaps unsurprising move, had to bail when he lost control of his BMW motorbike during a race and was catapulted through the air, fracturing vertebrae, his sternum and a number of ribs.

  • Guy Martin and Triumph in world speed record attempt
  • Great British Bake Off’s Paul Hollywood to race Aston Martin
  • Top Gear vs. The Grand Tour: which presenters have the best cars?

He was taking part in a test run when the latest incident took place. Regulations state that he must ride the motorcycle at 300mph before being allowed to take on the full land speed record – so the incident will have set the record run back yet again.

In typical Guy Martin fashion, the experience racer commented: “It’s all part the job, boy, isn’t it? Feeling our way. I guess if it was an easy thing to do everyone would have done it by now. So we’ll get a plan sorted and get on with the next go at it as soon as we get the chance.”

Guy Martin escapes crash during 300mph record run

Apparently taking it “steady” following his crash last year, Martin successfully reached 198mph during an earlier run.

The crash wasn’t the only hiccup, however. While being towed to the start line, the bike toppled over, causing minor damage. This delayed Martin’s final attempt, which led to him losing control.

Triumph Motorcycles, who built the bike, put the later incident down to the ‘unpredictable’ surface.

The Infor Rocket Streamliner’s designer, Matt Markstaller, said: “It’s one of the challenges of land speed racing – the salt surface can be so unpredictable. We’ll fully inspect the streamliner and get ready for the next phase of our attempt.”

It might not be that simple. Bad weather as winter arrives could mean that the world record attempt has to be postponed by yet another year.

Related Articles

Andrew Brady
Andrew Brady
Web editor at MR. Drives a 2005 Toyota MR2. Has a penchant for the peculiar.

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Find a Car Review

Latest

Kia EV9 is World Car of the Year 2024

The Kia EV9 is the latest pure electric car to be named World Car of the Year – and it also scooped the World Electric Vehicle 2024 prize

New Volkswagen ID.Buzz GTX gets 340hp and all-wheel drive

The retro-styled ID. Buzz people carrier is now offered with 340hp, making for an unlikely addition to Volkswagen’s sporty GTX range.

Salon Privé London to host three days of champagne and supercars

Salon Privé London returns to the Royal Hospital in Chelsea next month, with special celebrations of McLaren and the Porsche 911 Turbo.