Motocross Athlete to attempt longest motorcycle jump at Talladega (Update)
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| Professional Motocross Athlete Alex Harvill poses near the iconic Start/Finish line at Talladega Superspeedway. He will make a Guinness World Record attempt for the longest jump on the track's infamous infield just moments prior to the GEICO 500 race |
| Talladega Superspeedway |
04/22/17 Monster Energy is at it again. As the Corona, California-based company has done throughout the entire 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, they will take things to another level when professional motocross athlete Alex Harvill sets out to fly far beyond the Guinness World Record (GWR) for longest jump at Talladega Superspeedway – NASCAR's biggest and most outrageous track.
The attempt on the infamous track infield is scheduled to take place on May 7 just moments before the command to start engines at the GEICO 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Race airing live on FOX at 2:00 p.m. EST. Tickets can be purchased to see the world record jump attempt and for the GEICO 500 at 1-877-GO2-DEGA or online at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com
A GWR representative will be on site to verify the breaking of the 351-foot record set by the legendary Robbie Maddison on March 29, 2008. Following in the footsteps of his hometown hero, Evel Knievel, 24-year old Harvill from Ephrata, WA takes on the biggest challenge of his career, a more than 426-foot jump as he reaches a top speed of 105 mph. He'll ride along an 88' long, 14' high takeoff flying over a 400' gap to touch ground again on a 30' high, 30' wide and 100' long landing.
"Monster Energy wants to bring compelling content to NASCAR races this year and Alex Harvill going for a Guinness World Record should certainly be exciting for the fans at the track and those watching on FOX," says Monster Energy Vice President of Sports Marketing, Mitch Covington. "I feel great about going to Talladega to do this jump," says Harvill. "Talladega is the biggest and fastest, and it's only fitting that I'm jumping the furthest at that track."
A near death experience in childhood that left his pelvis shattered and bike mangled developed Harvill's inspirational philosophy to face fear and live life to the fullest. "If you're not ready to die, you're not ready to live. I like to think I live my life that way." Harvill and has already attained a Guinness World Record achievement for longest dirt to dirt distance jump.
The all-star production team includes the creator and producer of the record attempt, Paul Taublieb of TAUBLIEB Films (www.taubliebfilms.com). A pioneering producer in staging world records including Mike Metzger's backflip over Caesars Palace, the Emmy-award winning producer/director is an original consultant on the founding of the X Games and for more than 15 years has produced all motocross activities at the games. TAUBLIEB FILMS productions include the Netflix Original Documentary "Unchained: The Untold Story of Freestyle Motocross," the feature film "The Vow" starring Channing Tatum and the Emmy Award-winning 30 for 30 documentary "Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau," Also on board is Harvill's manager Marc Levine who is a production coordinator for the stunt.
After Harvill's thrilling jump, the GEICO 500 will get the green flag and will feature heart-pounding three and four-wide racing on NASCAR's Most Competitive Track. It's not just incredible racing that Talladega Superspeedway offers, but the overall weekend experience the track provides to fans. In addition to the Harvill attempt on Sunday, the track will offer opportunities for fans that include the infamous "Big One on the Blvd" takes place Friday night in the infield, featuring NASCAR's biggest stars and one-of-a-kind fan competitions; and the following night, The Charlie Daniels Band will headline the Saturday Night Infield Concert, which is free to anyone who has purchased a GEICO 500 ticket.
For general ticket information on any of the events for Talladega Superspeedway's triple-header racing weekend for the GEICO 500, Sparks Energy 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race (Saturday, May 6), or the General Tire 200 (Friday, May 5) ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards event, log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 1-877-Go2-DEGA