Guy Martin eyes 300mph in a mile record that killed last to attempt it

Guy Martin has revealed his next daredevil project will be to crack the 300mph speed barrier on a motorcycle within a mile, seven years after the last person to try and break the world record died in a crash attempting it.

The former road racer-turned-TV personality is well versed in tackling wild stunts in front of the camera and is currently in the midst of promoting his most recent endeavour, recreating ‘that’ leap from the 1963 iconic film ‘The Great Escape’ where Steve McQueen (or rather his stunt double Bud Elkin) scales a 12ft barbed wire fence.

However, with filming of that wrapped up ahead of its television debut on Sunday 8 December – more details here – Martin is already looking to what he will be attempting next. And it could be his most dangerous yet…

Speaking to The Times, Martin says he will now attempt to become the first person to reach 300mph within a mile on a motorcycle. It has been attempted before but the man attempting it – Bill Warner – lost control due to a potential mechanical or tyre failure at 285mph with tragic consequences.

Warner had broken the record for top speed reached over 1.5 miles – 311mph – and believed he could hit the 300 in less than that. Alas, fate intervened.

“It’s never been done before for the record books and the person who got closest is dead. Bill Warner reached 311mph in a mile and a half. He tried to do it the day after in a mile”

Reflecting on the danger of such an attempt, Martin is remarkably stoic about it, adding ‘If anything goes wrong, if it all goes to shit, they’re all right. Sharon and Dot are all right, and the dogs, Nigel and Steve’.

A self-confessed 'speed freak', Martin has already been fairly close to new records on two wheels this year after taking part in a Straightliners event at Elvington Airfield where he reached over 270mph on a tuned and turbocharged Suzuki Hayabusa.

Guy Martin turned down Top Gear because he isn’t a Rockstar

In the wide-ranging interview, Martin also shed further light on his decision to walk away from premier international road racing as his young daughter was about to be born, revealing he was more interested in ‘learning’ than he was ultimately about winning.

“Not now,” he replies when asked whether he misses it. “I somehow convinced myself that wanting to do all of these daft things was about the success and the victory of it. But really it wasn’t. It was all about building stuff and finding out new things. I need to be learning all the time. For maybe 15 years of my life, I convinced myself I was a competitive person, but I’m not.”

He also reveals why he turned down the Top Gear presenting job that ultimately went to Chris Evans, saying he wasn’t interested in the celebrity lifestyle that would ultimately be attached to it.

“Obviously, it would be a great notch on the CV. Actually, it would also be great money, but I don’t live like a rock star. I wouldn’t want to wake up one morning and realise that I believed the hype and had suddenly forgotten who I was and where I came from.”

'The Great Escape#' will be shown at December 8 on Channel 4