The South African attempt on the Guinness Book of World Records distance mark for riding a motorcycle through a tunnel of fire has finally found a home - it will happen at the Tarlton International Raceway near Krugersdorp on Monday evening, March 21.
This follows a year of negotiations with Ekurhuleni Health and Safety officials, who deemed the ride too dangerous to be attempted at various proposed venues in the municipality.
Finally, Tarlton Raceway owner Mick van Rensburg came to the rescue, offering his facility.
The record attempt will take place after a full day of national championship drag racing at Tarlton.
The current world record stands at 60.96, set by American stuntman Clint Ewing on a Suzuki superbike in Los Angeles on January 27, 2008.
South Africans Enrico Schoeman, a professional photographer, and Andre de Kock, a motoring journalist, will tackle a 70m long fire tunnel, riding a Kawasaki-powered motorcycle and sidecar combination. The attempt will also be used to increase awareness of cancer.
Schoeman and De Kock have been involved in various car and motorcycle stunts over the years, including riding the sidecar through 40m fire tunnels at the now defunct Dunswart Hotrod circuit in Benoni.
The 70-metre tunnel will consist of 10 metal frames, enclosed in thick cardboard on the sides, with five cardboard partitions inside. The whole structure will be doused with diesel and petrol before being set alight, after which the two record chasers will attempt to ride through it.
Schoeman and De Kock completed a successful test run through a 24m fire tunnel in Tarlton’s pit area last week. They will do a further and longer test run later this week, working towards the envisaged 70m.
De Kock said: “We are grateful to everybody who has helped, especially Mick van Rensburg, who stepped in with the offer of Tarlton, when many other venue owners were too faint-hearted to host the event.
“South Africa is rather thin on the ground when it comes to world records at the moment, and we will bring this one home.”
For more information about the attempt, visit the www.worldfiretunnelrecord.co.za website.