RESCHEDULED
QUAD WORLD SPEED RECORD ATTEMPT
In
an amazing event which will prove that being both deaf and blind
doesn’t need to stop you being the best, double world record
holder Graham ‘G-Force’ Hicks from Peterborough will be
attempting to smash his own quadbike world speed record on 22nd
June 2002 at Leicestershire’s Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground.
The event had been scheduled for 13 May but driving rain
and strong cross-winds meant it had to be postponed.
Graham
will be hurtling through the 100mph barrier on ‘G-Force
Challenger’, probably one of the fastest quads in the world.
Based on a Honda TRX400EX quad with a 1100cc Super
Blackbird 152bhp engine, this bike was custom-built by Terry
Chard, former technician for ‘Olly Duke’, and Race
Engineering. It has
been built to Supermoto specs, with a full race exhaust system
supplied and fitted by Venom Performance Products.
Graham,
who is blind and totally deaf, will be taking full control of
the quad and pillion rider, Rob Hall, will give Graham
navigational directions to help him keep straight down the
runway. The
directions will be given using a touch-based system since Graham
can neither see hand signals nor hear spoken directions.
As
well as fulfilling his personal ambition to break his last
record of 99.26mph, Graham will also be using the event to
promote the national charity Deafblind UK which gives its full
backing to his amazing challenges. Graham and Rob are part of the charity’s Deafblind
Challenges Team which aims to raise public awareness about the
potential of deafblind people and to raise funds for the vital
services Deafblind UK offers to deafblind people throughout the
country.
Deafblind
UK would like to thank the following companies who have
sponsored the Quadbike World Speed Record Challenge:
Anglia
Bearing Company Ltd; Apex Tyres; BSD Racing; Chalcon Ltd; Cooper
Avon Tyres; Crighton’s of Peterborough Ltd; Dunlop Tyres Ltd;
Fenland Engineering; Goodridge UK; GTS Racegear; Halfords Ltd;
Honda UK Motorcycle and Power Equipment; ID Leisure Ltd; John
Elliot Quad Racing; KIK ATV Specialist; Malvern Timers; Marks
& Spencer Ltd; Mitsubishi UK; Philip Charles Leisure Ltd;
Putoline Oil Ltd; Race Engineering; Ten Fore Ltd; Terry Chard
(former technician for Olly Duke); Venom Performance Products;
VP Racing Fuels.
And finally, a word from
Graham: “I was very disappointed on 13 May to have to postpone
the record attempt because of the appalling weather.
But I’m raring to go on 22 June and I’m determined
not only to beat my own record but to prove to everyone what
it’s possible to achieve, despite being deafblind.
There’s no point waiting for a cure for deafblindness.
You’ve got to make the most of life while it’s
there.”
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