At just 12 years old, the young pilot Alfie Barraclough He is already beginning to write his name in the history of British speed. As we are telling you, the Bradford motorcyclist managed to set 4 new land speed records during his debut on sand in the legendary Pendine Sands, in South Wales, a legendary setting for this type of challenge for more than a century.
Well yes, a couple of weekends ago, from May 2 to 4, alfie He faced for the first time a surface as complicated as the compact sand of Pendine and, even so, he managed to shatter the youth records of up to 100 cc in the categories of 500 meters, 1 km, quarter mile and half mile with a standing start. Their official speeds were 79.7 km/h, 88.4 km/h, 89.5 km/h and 94.3 km/h respectively. Without a doubt, a small “rocket”.
This is how Alfie Barraclough fights with speed
As his father explained, Karl Barracloughthis achievement makes alfie the youngest driver to achieve an official sand speed record in the United Kingdom. In fact, it is not the first time that the young man surprises the world of 2 wheels, since he previously also became the youngest holder of a speed record on asphalt at just 9 years old. Now, at his young age, alfie He has already accumulated 27 speed records in different distances and disciplines, including attempts both alone and in a sidecar with his friend Jack Taylor.
An unusual career for such a young driver and one that demonstrates the competitive environment in which he has grown up. alfieFor this occasion, he used a dragster-type motorcycle made specifically for him, equipped with a 70 cc engine from a Gilera. Curiously, it is the same frame with which he previously achieved his records on asphalt.
“It is his first custom-made acceleration motorcycle”he explained Charles. “With it he also achieved his first record on asphalt, so now he has achieved records on both dirt and sand using the same bike.“The choice of this mechanic was not a coincidence. The team was looking for a smooth power delivery to avoid loss of traction on the sand.”We didn’t want him to get out of control at the start and lose momentum.”added his proud father.
Let us remember that Pendine Sands is one of the most emblematic places in the UK for speed attempts. For decades, cars and motorcycles have sought to break records there, taking advantage of the enormous expanse of compact sand next to the sea. The absolute motorcycle record on this beach still belongs to the missing Zef Eisenbergwho reached 324.4 km/h in 2018 on a Suzuki Hayabusa supercharged. Crazy!
With these new records already in his record, alfie and his team are already thinking about the next challenge. His next big goal will be the Straightliners Speed Week to be held in September at the Elvington airfield, where he will try to continue expanding a collection of records that, despite his age, is already, without a doubt, impressive.
