Andy’s wheelie bin ready to race into record books
AQUIRKY engineer is getting revved up to attempt to set a new Guinness World Record this weekend – for the world’s fastest wheelie bin.
Andy Jennings, 28, has transformed his green household waste bin into a racing machine – complete with a small motorbike engine, a gear box, ignition, a bike seat, and the steering from a mobility scooter.
And the design engineer, who lives in Swindon, with fiancée Emma Christie, will hop inside the rigged-out bin this weekend, in an attempt to set the record for world’s fastest wheelie bin.
The record is the brainchild of Andy, who will be the first person in the world to attempt it – but has been told by Guinness World Records he must reach more than 30mph in order to secure the record.
But Andy is confident he can manage it – after having reached speeds of a whopping 41mph during practice runs near his home.
He said: “I’m feeling pretty excited, but also fairly apprehensive. This has been a little while coming.
“I’ve been practising on a couple of open roads near my house – but on the day I’ll be at an airfield, so I just hope there’s nothing untoward like a head wind.
“If I get anything over 35mph, I’d be chuffed with that.”
He added: “I wanted to try something that had not been done before, but there wasn’t really much out there that hadn’t already been attempted.
“I was just sitting in my garden one afternoon and I noticed the bin and I thought, ‘I could give that a go’.”
Andy is attempting to break the world record to help fundraise in memory of one of his oldest friends, Ben Ellis, who died in June this year.
Ben had suffered an accident at work
There’s a lot that has
to go right on the day. But I’m looking
forward to it ANDY JENNINGS
around five years ago in which he broke his leg. But he was left comatose for two years when a blood clot formed in his brain, and permanently disabled after he came round, unable to speak or move.
Andy said: “When I initially came up with the idea to break this record, it was to help fundraise for Ben’s care, as he was in a home.
“It meant a lot to me to help Ben and his family – so it was definitely a blow when he passed away.
“But even though he couldn’t communicate, you could tell that he was still himself.
“He loved the fact that I was doing this wheelie bin thing – he was always doing wacky stuff like that before his accident. He loved watching videos of me practising.”
Andy’s world record attempt will take place on Sunday at Elvington Airfield in Elvington, Yorkshire.
His attempt will be measured over a distance of 100 metres – which he will need to do twice, up and down the airfield, so that officiators can average out his speed.
He said: “There’s a lot that has to go right on the day. But I’m looking forward to it. It will certainly be an interesting day.”
To donate to Andy’s fundraiser, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ thefastestbin.