Guy Martin to attempt 400mph land speed record
- Published
Guy Martin is a regular competitor at the Isle of Man TT races, where he reaches speeds of up to 200mph
Motorcycle racer Guy Martin will attempt to set a new land speed record in August after being confirmed as the pilot of a machine made by Triumph.
The TT star and TV personality will attempt to beat the current record, which stands at 376.363 mph (605km/h).
Martin will make his attempt on the Triumph Rocket III Streamliner, which is powered by two 2.3-litre engines, producing 1,000 bhp.
The current record was set by US rider Rocky Robinson in 2010.
Martin said: "I like going fast, proper fast, so pushing 400mph sounds like just the job.
"Breaking the land speed record isn't normally the sort of thing you get offered in your tea break and I'm well up for it.
He added: "Bringing the record back to Britain would be mega."
Triumph Rocket III Streamline produces about 1,000 bhp
World record rules
In order to break the two-wheeled world land speed record Martin needs to complete two runs over a distance of about eight miles (12km)
Both runs need to be within two hours of each other, with a one mile (1.6 km) timing trap used to record the speed
An average speed from the two runs is then calculated and used for the final result
Martin will make his attempt at Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah this autumn.
If successful, the 34-year-old from Grimsby in North East Lincolnshire will be the first man from the UK to hold the record in 45 years.
The 2015 Triumph machine is 25.5ft long, 2ft wide and 3ft tall and is powered by methanol fuel.
Leicestershire-based Triumph said it wanted to build on a long legacy of smashing the land speed record, having held the title of "World's Fastest Motorcycle" from 1955 to 1970 - apart from a single 33-day period.