Record breaking Motofest defies the weather

Bexhill Motofest. Photo by Roberts Photographic SUS-180730-072204001

Despite atrocious weather with 50mph wind gusts and occasional torrential rain, about a thousand people turned out to visit Bexhill Motofest to witness Hollywood movie motorcycle stunt legend Mark Van Driel smash his world record for most Switchback Zero motorbike rotations in one minute. Switch Back Zero is a complex highly skilled stunt that involves riding a motorcycle while facing backwards in circles without using the handlebars. Despite falling from the motorbike several times due to the slippery car park surface Mark achieved 16 rotations in one minute on his final attempt at the record. Mark had previously held the Guinness World Record of 13 rotations since 2013.

The independent witnesses who adjudicated the stunt for presentation to Guinness for World Record verification were three Rother District Councillors and Martin Riley of Bexhill Chamber of Commerce.

One of the adjudicators, Cllr Sally-Ann Hart who is also a local Magistrate said: “Mark (Van Driel) is a very experienced stunt performer but even he found this stunt difficult in the conditions we had today but I am very pleased to say that all four witnesses will confirm that he did indeed break the established Guinness World Record by completing 16 rotations in one minute.”

However the record is not an official Guinness World Record until all the evidence has been submitted and properly assessed by Guinness but everyone involved are confident that the record was indeed broken.

Organiser Howard Martin said: “It was a fantastic day and despite the awful weather Bexhill did us proud. It was a fantastic day for the town.

We moved the live music into the De La Warr and there were several hundred people enjoying the bands,

“The Bexhill Mayor Cllr Azad also came along to support the event.”