Land Racing Daredevil Jack Frost Breaks UK & EURO Record

Quattro-sponsored land racing speed daredevil Jarrod ‘Jack’ Frost has broken the UK & European record for fastest mile on a bike from a standing start.  The speed, 274.926mph across a one-mile distance at the Straightliners Event, is the fastest ever recorded at Elvington Airfield, near York.

Speed freak Jack, who has been racing since he was sixteen, also completed four other runs at over 270mph on the day, which no other rider in the world has done before.  Over the years he has competed in different forms of racing (circuit, drag, mx, enduro, supermoto) and endured many injuries but nothing stops his goal of aiming to continually beat his personal best.  When asked what it is about racing for top speed in one mile that appeals, Jack explained it’s simply an individual mission he set himself.

‘Top speed is a personal thing.  I’m not racing against anyone else but the clock. Elvington is far from smooth but the bike still runs 0-200mph in nine seconds and 0-250mph in 13 seconds on the track. When you’re going that speed it’s the thrill and the excitement that is different to anything else, and you are fighting the bike the whole way to keep it straight and stop it coming off the throttle.’

Jack rides a self-built Hayabusa Turbo 1340cc bike and explains that it’s the detail in the build of the bike, along with weather factors, that will determine the top achievable result.

‘It’s a great feeling to showcase the engineering and effort that I put into the bike, but everything at that level is so critical - it’s really about conditions –weather and grip both play a huge part.’

Whilst Jack spends his day job at Holeshot Racing building different bikes, race cars and engines, when it comes to speed, he wants to race for himself.  Asked what it felt like to ride at 275mph he replied:  ‘I don’t know, I’ve only ridden at 274.926mph!’  Jack, who is as rapid a talker as he is a rider, added, ‘It’s a great feeling and It’s 100kmh faster than the fastest MotoGP bike.  I don’t think about crashing or I wouldn’t do it.  I’ve done it for so many years and done so many high speed runs.  It takes a long time to slow down and I can’t lift up my head or stick out a leg like in circuit racing… or I’d be dragged off the bike!'

Jack’s started building bikes as a hobby. Soon his passion grew and it quickly became his business. ‘I’ve been building bikes and engines since a very young age.  I’m fifty-five now and have had turbo bikes since I was twenty-one.’  

Jack also built Guy Martins landspeed bike (270.8mph) and French rider Philippe Le Peru’s bike (272mph). All 3 bikes are identical apart from bodywork and riding positions. Frost, Martin and Le Peru are considered to be the fastest team in the world.  ‘I’ve broken records in 2001 (229mph) and 2004 (257mph) and it has taken me a long time to get to 274.926mph.  My bikes have to be top of the pile for speed.  The amount of effort that goes into the build, particularly the bikes I build for other people, has to pay off.’

Jack was racing at 257mph twenty years ago, which set the world record.  Just a few days ago at Elvington he raced at 274.926 mph, which was thirteen miles faster than his fellow racer.  At just 3mph more Jack would have broken the world record.  ‘It’s my goal to reach 300mph. I don’t see 300mph as doable on UK soil, but it’s a nice figure, so I’ll keep aiming for it.’

Jack’s Quattro-sponsored bike will be back at Elvington Airfield in 3 weeks where he will attempt to beat the clock once again.  Asked if he’d ever be ready to retire, he replied:

‘When I’m six foot under.’