The man who died while attempting to break a speed record at Elvington Airfield has been named as Zef Eisenberg.
Mr Eisenberg was fatally injured at the airfield near York yesterday (Thursday) while trying to break the speed record in a Porsche 911 Turbo S.
The 47-year-old father-of-two from Guernsey died at the scene of the crash.
The car went out of control at high speed at the end of a run, motorsport’s governing body said.
Mr Eisenberg made a fortune after setting up the fitness firm Maximuscle, presented an ITV4 series called Speed Freaks, and appeared on other shows including The Bike Show.
An ultra-speed motorbike racer, in the past decade he amassed over 70 land speed records for motorbike and car.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “The incident occurred during a British Land Speed record attempt and the driver, 47 year-old Zef Eisenberg tragically died at the scene.
“Officers attended with the ambulance service and an investigation is ongoing.
“Please respect the family’s privacy at this time.”
Full investigation underway
A Motorsport UK statement said: “Yesterday at Elvington Airfield, Zef was attempting to break the British Land Speed Record in a Porsche 911 Turbo S, at an event organised by Straightliners Ltd/UKTA.
“At 1630, the car went out of control at high speed at the end of a run.
“Local police and ambulance crews attended, however the driver tragically died at the scene.
“Zef leaves behind his partner Mirella D’Antonio and two children.”
The organisation said a full investigation involving the police will begin.
The statement added: “The thoughts of everyone at Motorsport UK and within the UK motorsport community continue to be with Zef Eisenberg’s family, the organisers of the event, and other members of the motorsport community who were present at Elvington Airfield.”
The attempt was organised by Straightliners Limited and the UK Timing Association, which said: “All in Straightliners and UKTA extend their condolences to Zef’s partner Mirella, the Eisenberg family, the vehicle operating and build crew and all those who supported Zef’s speed efforts with his bikes and car.”
Injured in 2016
An ultra-speed motorbike racer, Zef Eisenberg holds numerous land speed records for motorbike racing.
In 2011 he set up the Madmax Race Team based in Guernsey.
He charted his speed attempts on social media:
Mr Eisenberg, 47, was involved in a “near-death” 230mph crash at the Elvington airfield in 2016.
Then he was riding a gas turbine engine motorbike at a Straightliners Top Speed meeting.
At Elvington in September 2019 Mr Eisenberg broke the world’s fastest time for an unfaired electric motorbike and dedicated the achievement to a teammate who died at the Isle of Man TT races.
He celebrated after breaking the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) record for a flying kilometre on the bike his friend and colleague Daley Mathison was due to ride in the Isle of Man TT Zero race earlier that year.
Mr Eisenberg’s Wikipedia entry says he “holds over 50 British and world land speed records including a prestigious Guinness World Record. His records include the world’s fastest turbine bike (234mph), the UK’s fastest (no-fairing) ‘naked’ bike (225.6mph), world’s fastest motorbike racer on sand ever at 201.5mph to Britain’s fastest-ever motorcycle crash at over 230mph”.