Photographer Enrico Schoeman and motorsport journalist André de Kock will attempt to ride a motorcycle and sidecar through a fire tunnel of 91 metres.

The stunt is set for 7.30pm and should they succeed Schoeman and de Kock will become holders of one of the most dangerous titles still presided over by the Guinness Book of World Records.

PLANNING

The attempt will be the culmination of months of planning by Schoeman (55), De Kock (58) and a team of fire stunt experts.

In August last year the pair rode through a fire tunnel of 73 metres in Vaalwater.

They also rode through a number of shorter tunnels at this year’s Rand Easter Show, in preparation for  Friday evening’s big attempt.

The fire tunnel ride will be a highlight of this year’s Vaalwater Game Festival.

The two riders will use a 1260cc Kawasaki powered Australian sidecar, fine tuned by Clint’s Dyno and painted pink as part of a cancer awareness project.

They will wear First Race fireproof overalls, underwear and boots plus balaclavas and full face helmets.

The tunnel, constructed by Khalanga Engineers, will consist of steel square tubing, draped in various layers of Lothlorien cardboard.

The structure will be doused in 200 litres of diesel plus 200 litres of petrol and set alight. The intrepid record chasers will then attempt to ride through the  inferno.

The record attempt will take place on the main tar road between Vaalwater and Ellisras, with the local authorities rerouting normal traffic for four hours.

The effort should be watched by hundreds of people, diverted from the adjacent Vaalwater Game Festival’s huge music concert.

“We are extremely nervous,” said Schoeman this week.

“The fire tunnel will burn for about 30 seconds, and we should take about 12 seconds to ride through  – a short time  to get everything  right after months of what has been painstaking preparation.”

Adding to the tension will be the fact that the two riders dare not breathe inside the tunnel where the temperature should be in the region of 900 degrees Celcius.

Should they emerge unscathed, proof of the run will be submitted to the Guinness World Record authorities in London for ratification.

The attempt will be filmed by a crew from the SABC for broadcast on TV2 and TV3 News on  August 11.