Multiple world speed record holder, Zef Eisenberg to front brand new television show, aptly entitled ‘Speed Freaks’ to be aired on ITV4 early August. The 6-part TV series follows daredevil Zef Eisenberg as he scours the nation to meet fellow ‘Speed Freaks’ and glean essential engineering know-how from their incredible ‘franken machines’. Whether they’ve fitted a 24,000cc W12 aero-engine into a car, or built from scratch a full Dakar off-road racer, Eisenberg gets into the mindset, behind the wheel, under the bonnet and in to the saddle of Britain’s fastest cars and motorbikes.
Inspired by these extraordinary men and machines, Eisenberg challenges his own MADMAX Race Team of mechanics to take a different vehicle each week and turn it in to the fastest machine of its kind. Eisenberg’s hands on approach doesn’t just stop with the engineering – each week he braves life and limb to test the machines to their full potential. Each 60-minute episode features extreme wacky vehicles, adrenaline-filled action behind the wheel and fantastic feats of engineering.
The knowledge gained on his journey plays a crucial part in helping Zef and the MADMAX Race Team to build a crazy 1200hp specially road-legal Porsche 911 Turbo. The series culminates at Pendine Sands, the holy grail of Land Speed racing where he attempts his life-long ambition to become the first person to break and hold the British land speed records on both bike and car at over 200mph, a feat never been achieved before.
Eisenberg best known for his motorbike exploits is a self-proclaimed ‘Speed Freak’ and no stranger to speed, he currently holds over 40 land speed records including a prestigious Guinness World Record. His records include the world’s fastest turbine bike (234mph), the UK’s fastest (no-fairing) ‘naked’ bike (225.6mph), world’s fastest motorbike racer on sand ever at 201.5mph to Britain’s fastest-ever motorcycle crash at over 230mph.
In September 2016 Eisenberg nearly paid the ultimate price when disaster struck at 234mph during a motorcycle record attempt, riding a 560bhp Rolls-Royce jet turbine-powered motorcycle. He broke 11 bones, was hospitalised for three months, spent a further three months in a wheelchair and had to learn to walk again. He defied doctors by racing on the anniversary of the crash on the same track, and just 5 months later became the first man in history to break the 200mph barrier on sand on a motorbike when he recorded a top speed of 201.572mph at Pendine in May 2018.
The Speed Freaks show was commissioned for ITV4 by Paul Mortimer, Head of Digital Channels and is produced by Keshet Productions. Speaking on behalf of Keshet Productions David Williams said “This high-octane series features a feast of items and VTs geared up to indulge anyone with an interest in cars, motorsports and engineering. Zef’s need for speed and desire to break that land-speed record is infectious and makes for compelling viewing.”
You can watch an excerpt from Speed Freaks here: https://youtu.be/191GvHSWze8