The world's fastest woman has cheated death after surviving a motorcycle crash at more than 200mph. Becci Ellis, a mother-of-two, was trying to beat her own speed record and had reached an astonishing 254mph as she crossed the line when her powerful turbo-powered bike was
hit by a gust of wind sending her veering off the track.
Spectators - including her husband Mick - watched in horror as her Suzuki Hayabusa careered out of control for a quarter of a mile before, still travelling at around 90mph, Mrs Ellis was thrown off violently.
But thanks to armour-plating inside her racing suit, the 46-year-old IT analyst escaped with a broken ankle, severe bruising and a whiplash injury to her neck.
And after an eight-hour stay in hospital she was back at the track to watch other competitors battle it out on Elvington airfield in North Yorkshire the next day.
Resting at her home in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, she said: "I had just gone through the speed gate at 254mph when the wind caught me. I was still doing around 220 and it made me sit up in the saddle and in less than a second the bike had got onto the grass.
"It was a very bumpy ride - and I knew it was going to end in pain. I managed to keep the bike upright but I was still doing around 90mph when the bike finally dug into the dirt and spat me off. I landed on my front and blacked out briefly but the paramedics were there very quickly.
"When they got to me I saw that Mick was looking a bit grey - it must have been very worrying for people watching but my armour under my leathers saved me from a lot more serious injuries."
Mrs Ellis only started racing when she met her husband, who was a motorbike drag racer in the early 1990s.
She then decided that she wanted to break world records, and is desperate to beat her own.
Her husband has spent months adjusting the bike, she originally bought second-hand for the spare parts. He has been developing the engine to produce a staggering 600-plus brake-horse power - the equivalent of four Ford Focus engines.
The bike has a higher power-to-weight ratio than Lewis Hamilton's current Formula One car.
The motorcycle, despite its improvements, is a street bike and is road legal.
She said: "I will be back to defend my world record - though my husband Mick will have a lot of work to do on the bike. It was pretty well trashed in the crash."
Her record of 264mph, which she set in October last year at the same venue, beat the existing fastest woman rider by more than 20mph.
This speed is the same as travelling at 118 metres per second, and makes her the fourth fastest person in the world.
After breaking the world record, she said "I don't find it scary at all".
She added: "I get an adrenaline rush but there's no nerves. I'm totally focused and I know exactly what I'm doing.
"The feeling is phenomenal. I absolutely love it - I can't get enough."
She is only 30mph off the overall world record set by American racer Bill Warner, who died in a crash during a world record attempt.
The world's fastest woman has cheated death after surviving a motorcycle crash at more than 200mph. Becci Ellis, a mother-of-two, was trying to beat her own speed record and had reached an astonishing 254mph as she crossed the line when her powerful turbo-powered bike was
hit by a gust of wind sending her veering off the track.
Spectators - including her husband Mick - watched in horror as her Suzuki Hayabusa careered out of control for a quarter of a mile before, still travelling at around 90mph, Mrs Ellis was thrown off violently.
But thanks to armour-plating inside her racing suit, the 46-year-old IT analyst escaped with a broken ankle, severe bruising and a whiplash injury to her neck.
And after an eight-hour stay in hospital she was back at the track to watch other competitors battle it out on Elvington airfield in North Yorkshire the next day.
Resting at her home in Scunthorpe, Lincolnshire, she said: "I had just gone through the speed gate at 254mph when the wind caught me. I was still doing around 220 and it made me sit up in the saddle and in less than a second the bike had got onto the grass.
"It was a very bumpy ride - and I knew it was going to end in pain. I managed to keep the bike upright but I was still doing around 90mph when the bike finally dug into the dirt and spat me off. I landed on my front and blacked out briefly but the paramedics were there very quickly.
"When they got to me I saw that Mick was looking a bit grey - it must have been very worrying for people watching but my armour under my leathers saved me from a lot more serious injuries."
Mrs Ellis only started racing when she met her husband, who was a motorbike drag racer in the early 1990s.
She then decided that she wanted to break world records, and is desperate to beat her own.
Her husband has spent months adjusting the bike, she originally bought second-hand for the spare parts. He has been developing the engine to produce a staggering 600-plus brake-horse power - the equivalent of four Ford Focus engines.
The bike has a higher power-to-weight ratio than Lewis Hamilton's current Formula One car.
The motorcycle, despite its improvements, is a street bike and is road legal.
She said: "I will be back to defend my world record - though my husband Mick will have a lot of work to do on the bike. It was pretty well trashed in the crash."
Her record of 264mph, which she set in October last year at the same venue, beat the existing fastest woman rider by more than 20mph.
This speed is the same as travelling at 118 metres per second, and makes her the fourth fastest person in the world.
After breaking the world record, she said "I don't find it scary at all".
She added: "I get an adrenaline rush but there's no nerves. I'm totally focused and I know exactly what I'm doing.
"The feeling is phenomenal. I absolutely love it - I can't get enough."
She is only 30mph off the overall world record set by American racer Bill Warner, who died in a crash during a world record attempt.
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