On the same day Talladega Superspeedway hosts a NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series race, the track will also be the site where a motorcycle rider seeks to break the Guinness World Record for longest ramp-to-ramp jump.
Motorcycle jumper will try to set Guinness World Record before NASCAR race at Talladega
Alex Harvill will attempt a more than 426-foot jump on a motorcycle, which would set a world record.
Alex Harvill will attempt to jump more than 426 feet, which would break the current record of 351 feet set by Robbie Maddison in 2008. Harvill’s jump will come on Talladega’s frontstretch infield, and occur between the national anthem and the command for drivers to start their engines prior to the May 7 race.
Guinness World Record representatives will be on hand at Talladega to witness the attempt. To complete the jump, Harvill says he’ll need to hit a max speed of 105 mph, before going off a 14-foot ramp and then landing on a 30-foot ramp.
“I feel great about going to Talladega to do this jump,” says Harvill. “Talladega is the biggest and fastest, and it’s only fitting that I’m jumping the furthest at that track.”
Although dangerous, Harvill says he doesn’t think about the risks. The 24-year-old grew up in the same region of the country as Evel Knievel, and hearing tales about the legendary daredevil inspired Harvill become a stunt rider himself.
Jumping long distances on a motorcycle isn’t uncommon for Harvill, who owns the world record for longest dirt-to-dirt distance jump.
“If you’re not ready to die, you’re not ready to live,” Harvill said. “I like to think I live my life that way.”
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