Guy Martin at the site of the record attempt.
The greatest risk to his safety comes from passing out under excessive G-force.
Photograph: Ryan Mcnamara/C4

Television entertainment in Britain becomes even more like a gladiatorial arena tomorrow when Guy Martin, the motorcycle daredevil, tries to break the world speed record for riding on a fairground-style “wall of death”.

The attempt, to be made live on Channel 4 in front of an invited audience, has been designed by a mechanical engineer from Trinity College, Cambridge, Dr Hugh Hunt.

“We are most concerned that Guy doesn’t pass out,” said Hunt. “There will be a G-force of six or seven coming at him if he manages 60mph. The most that people might experience on a quick turn on a funfair rollercoaster is five Gs – and that is just for a few seconds.”

Hunt believes the danger is justified by the unusual science necessary to set it up. “It is not a show like Strictly Come Dancing,” he said. “We learned that riding the wall is not about going as fast as you can as quickly as you can. I am hoping a little bit of the science will come over. I want kids to understand some of the maths. We have got to encourage the next generation of scientists.”

The stunt is to take place inside an aircraft hangar where shipping containers have been used to strengthen the sides of the vertical track. “We faced lots of problems. The track has to be strong enough to take the weight of the bike at that level of loading. Going at speed adds up to a couple of extra tonnes to the bike weight. What’s more, every little droplet of oil or sweat on the track could make it slippery. And how much should we pump up the tyres? And what about the spokes?”

The recent Channel 4 series The Jump, in which celebrities competed at winter sports on the slopes of the Austrian Alps, resulted in a run of bad injuries. Concerns over safety have cast doubt over the commissioning of another series. During preparations last year for the “wall of death” stunt, Martin, 34, was hurt in a crash in a race in Northern Ireland, so he is no mere celebrity volunteer, Hunt said.

A film crew followed Martin’s training with “wall of death” rider Ken Fox and also filmed him taking a trip in a stunt plane so he could experience the G-forces he expects to face.

“The physiology has been the other big thing,” said Hunt. “Guy has really bounced back from his accident, but we are working out exactly what he should do if he thinks he is about to pass out. The tiniest little thing can lead to a big accident in those conditions.

“It is pretty scary because Guy keeps talking about going 100 miles an hour, which is faster than the track has been built for. That would be crazy. But then he is fairly crazy.”

Hunt admitted that he has had trouble sleeping recently. “I wonder if we have thought it all through. But that is just what engineers do. I am pretty sure that he cannot fly out of the top of the track, unless he does it on purpose. That would be the most dangerous thing. If he falls downwards, he will tumble around a bit and hurt himself, but I don’t think he would die. You try to think of everything, but how can you know if you have?”

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