Maximuscle creator Zef Eisenberg dies aged 47, attempting land speed record
Millionaire businessman was involved in a serious crash at Elvington airfield near York
A biker who died while attempting a British land speed record at an airfield has been named as millionaire businessman Zef Eisenberg.
The 47-year-old, who was Jewish and founded the fitness firm Maximuscle, was involved in a serious crash at Elvington near York at around 4.30pm on Thursday and died at the scene.
A North Yorkshire Police spokesman said: “The incident occurred during a British Land Speed record attempt and the driver, 47 year-old Zef Eisenberg tragically died at the scene.
“Officers attended with the ambulance service and an investigation is ongoing.
“Please respect the family’s privacy at this time.”
A Motorsport UK spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with the driver’s family, who have been informed, the organisers of the event, and other members of the motorsport community present.”
He was airfifted to hospital in 2016 from Elvington when he crashed while riding a gas turbine engine motorbike.
At the same airfield in September 2019 Eisenberg broke the world’s fastest time for an unfaired electric motorbike and dedicated the achievement to a teammate who died at the Isle of Man TT races.
He celebrated after breaking the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) record for a flying kilometre on the bike his friend and colleague Daley Mathison was due to ride in the Isle of Man TT Zero race earlier that year.
Eisenberg told the PA news agency at the time how he carried a photo of his friend in his leathers and also wore Mathison’s knee slides.
Eisenberg, who held more than 50 world records on bikes and in cars, said: “I made a promise to him, and to his wife Natalie, that I would take the bike to world glory.
“He was with me on every ride.
“We all felt he was there with us.
“He’s hopefully smiling down now from heaven.”
Elvington Airfield was the scene of a crash involving former Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond in 2006.
The 50-year-old was left in a coma for two weeks and with brain injuries after crashing a jet-powered car.
The privately-owned venue, which is an active airfield, is also a facility for driving, driver training, filming and other testing purposes for professional organisations.
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