Ananzi Motoring
SA pair beats tunnel of fire
The brave pair, Enrico Schoeman and Andre de Kock powered their highly modified Kawasaki Z1000 motorcycle-sidecar combination through a 67.6 metres inferno to snatch the record for driving through a tunnel of fire from American stuntman Clint Ewing.
He set the previous record of 60,96 metres riding solo on a Suzuki Superbike in Los Angeles on January 27, 2008.
The spectacular attempt, deemed too dangerous to be held at various public venues by Ekurhuleni Health and Safety officials, went off without a hitch.
Once the diesel and petrol soaked cardboard and steel structure was ignited by a pyrotechnics expert, there was a small window of opportunity for the pair to make it through.
Guiness World Record rules require the entire tunnel to be burning from the time of entry to the time of exit.
With the flames reducing visibility inside the tunnel to almost zero, professional photographer Schoeman had to remain focussed on a white line drawn down the middle of the inferno to keep the three-wheeled racing machine from smashing through the flaming walls with devastating consequences.
The crowd held their breath for several seconds while all that could be heard from within the crackling tunnel was the reassuring scream of the Kawasaki. Then to a roar of approval the daredevils blasted out the other side in a shower of sparks.
A victory “donut” added a last puff of smoke before the relieved pair punched the air victoriously.
When asked what it was like, De Kock, a motor sport writer by profession, pointed out that it was “hot”. Still limping from a severe burn sustained while preparing for the event, De Kock went on to say he could have “held on a bit longer”.
Did this mean a further attempt was in the offing?
“We’ll wait for the official ratification from Guinness first”, said De Kock, who has also strapped himself to Tarlton Raceway owner Mick van Rensburg’s jet dragster to become the world’s fastest passenger.
