A Guy of all trades: Racer, TV host and engineer extraordinaire
Record setter, speedster, TV star; Guy Martin shines bright in the face of the toughest of challenges, always ready to take on new adventures with boundless enthusiasm and determination. From the treacherous tracks of the Isle of Man TT to the concrete jungles of the streets of Bogota, Guy is never one to shy away from what others would consider impossible.
When people talk about motorcycle racers that have transcended the notoriety of the racetrack into mainstream consciousness, few names resonate as well as Guy Martin. With his signature sideburns and fearless spirit, Martin isn't just a racer; he's a living legend, pushing the boundaries of speed and daring from the track to the TV screen. Born into a family of truck mechanics, he developed a love for speed and engines at an early age. It was while tinkering in the garage as an apprentice mechanic that Martin began racing in his spare time, going on to debut at the 2004 Isle of Man TT. With his distinctive down-to-earth character, and daring antics on the Mountain Course, he soon became an instant fan favourite. Guy’s passion for racing can perhaps best be described as relentless. He has competed in various classes. including the Superbike, Supersport and Senior TT races. Despite several close calls and heart-racing performances, the Isle of Man TT victory eluded him; though he would go on to have multiple podium finishes. Later he participated in the Macau Grand Prix, the Southern 100 and the 2013 Ulster Grand Prix – finishing the latter with multiple podium finishes and wins in the Supersport and Superbike classes. But for all of Martin's triumphs on the racetrack, his career has also been marked by its fair share of setbacks and challenges. Riding for Wilson Craig in 2010, Guy crashed out in a wellpublicised fireball incident in the Senior TT, which caused the race to be red-flagged. Guy suffered horrific injuries but was back working and racing after a few months. In 2015, Guy’s luck ran out again when he was involved in another huge crash during a practice session at the Ulster GP. The crash left him with multiple fractures to his back again, requiring steel rods to be inserted, which are still place today. In the aftermath of the crash, he faced some physical challenges but, true to form, he refused to let adversity defeat him. Guy went back to work on the trucks and began preparing for a gruelling push bike ride from Canada to Mexico. Less than 12 months after his back injury he completed the Tour Divide. Opportunity came knocking in 2017 in the shape of Neil Tuxworth, the new Honda Fireblade and a ride on the Honda 6 as part of the deal. They shook hands and Guy was heading back to the TT. Sadly, the idea was greater than reality, as the team was plagued by various issues, crashes and injuries. Guy decided to walk away intact after a nasty crash on the opening lap of the RST Superbike Race. Guy realised there was more he wanted to do away from the Island and ended his TT career. A man of many talents, Guy would achieve further recognition (however unwanted for the notoriously publicity-shy racer) when he began hosting TV spots in 2010 with appearances on shows like ‘The Boat that Guy Built’, ‘Speed with Guy Martin’, and travelogues like ‘Our Guy in Colombia’. With some of these shows documenting his attempts at various challenges and record-breaking feats, viewers would become familiar with the relentless drive of Guy Martin. A holder of multiple Guinness World Record titles, he set the record for the ‘Fastest speed on a gravity-powered snow sled’ in Grandvalira, Andorra, on January 10, 2014, and the ‘Fastest Speed in a Soapbox’ in Mont Ventoux, France, on October 16, 2014. In 2016, Guy set a new Wall of Death world record by achieving the highest speed ever recorded on a Wall of Death at 78.15 mph. Guy is also a five times Sunday Times Bestselling Author. Though he may have achieved several death-defying speed records, twicensurvived a broken back and braved the urban desolation of what remains of Chernobyl, Guy remains a mechanic at heart, just as comfortable tweaking lorry engines as he is speeding around a racetrack. Guy has many projects on the go since stepping back from competitive top-flight racing, although he does participate in occasional events and one-off races – and now has set his sights on becoming the first man to 300mph in a standing mile on a conventional motorbike. Guy is at his happiest when he is fettling in his shed and still lives in Lincolnshire with his fiance, their daughter and three dogs. He continues to work as a mechanic for a local trucking company, taking time in between fixing nuts and bolts to host television series, build custom engines for race teams and work on his tractor as a contractor for a local farm. Simply speaking, he likes to keep busy. In the words of Guy himself: “I like doing things my way, the right way. I've had my eyes opened for the last 10 years or more and I'm still learning. I’m always looking for a new challenge but sometimes the challenges seem to find me.”