Daredevils Enrico Schoeman and André de Kock will, on September 5, risk their lives by riding an Australian side-car, on slick tyres, no suspension or brakes, through a fire tunnel.
The bold attempt to shatter their existing Guinness World Record will be held at Rhino Valley, Free State, in front of thousands of people.
The daredevils, who used to race at the Dunswart Stadium in Benoni, are intent on extending their record which currently stands at 103.09m (set on August 10, 2012) to 120m.
Schoeman, who will ride the bike with de Kock by his side, said the possibility of death in the 2m-tall tunnel is all too real.
He explained that the danger of the bike cutting out in the tunnel in the 12-second journey, or veering into the wall (which will be covered in wire mesh and cardboard), is always a possibility.
In such an event, he said, there will be no time to escape the inferno as fire services won’t be able to gauge where in the tunnel they are before it’s too late.
To complicate matters, Schoeman is also carrying a torn shoulder muscle, which he refuses to have operated on until after the event.
Despite the risk of burning to death, Schoeman said his biggest fear is that the tunnel won’t burn properly.
He said he and de Kock do not want to make fools of themselves – if conditions are not perfect (too much wind and a wet surface), they will abandon the daring feat.
Schoeman said he is risking it all to break his own world record and for the thrill it gives him.
“When you hit it there is no way out,” said Schoeman.
“I can’t describe the feeling – it’s boiling, it’s disorientating.
“I will still be thinking am I going straight.
“It is not a nice feeling.”
The duo will dedicate the event to cancer awareness and The Teddy Bear Clinic.
