El Mirage Dry Lake Bed, CA (June 17, 2009) – Jesse James successfully broke the land speed record of 200mph in a hydrogen powered vehicle yesterday in the Mojave Desert. James attempted the challenge while filming his hit television show “Jesse James Is A Dead Man” which premiered May 30, 2009. The episode was filmed yesterday and will air as the season one finale of "Jesse James Is A Dead Man" Quest for 200 MPH premiering on Sunday, August 9 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on Spike TV.
In order to prepare for the challenge, James had to first build a vehicle capable of handling such dangerous speeds; then he prepared for the worst-case scenario by escaping from a burning vehicle in case it exploded. The challenge took place at El Mirage Dry Lake Bed in California.
It has always been Jesse’s dream to reach 200 MPH on land. An even bigger dream was to break this record in an alternative-fueled vehicle. Jesse wanted to break 200 MPH for the sheer thrill of it and wanted to do it in an alternative-fueled vehicle so that he can prove that environmentalism doesn’t equal boring.
Jesse James is a custom bike and car builder, producer, publisher, and television host. In 2000, James started his TV career with Discovery Channel’s “Motorcycle Mania,” and in 2002 produced and starred in the international television hit, “Monster Garage.” Before his TV gigs, James started West Coast Choppers by doing what he loved, building motorcycles in his mom’s garage. As an expert welder, James produces only 12-14 bikes a year, making a very long wait list for his coveted custom machines.
More recently, James established his own production company, Payupsucker Productions, and in 2004, he became publisher of Garage Magazine and launched Payupsucker Publications. In 2006 he opened an eco-friendly burger joint, Cisco Burger, in Long Beach, CA.
BASE Productions, Inc. is an eight-time Emmy Award and ten-time IDEA Award-winning production company that is breaking new ground for cutting-edge reality, documentary and unscripted infotainment programming. BASE Productions’ use of cutting-edge motion-capture and CGI technology is unmatched and brings a signature look to all of their productions. BASE Productions is based in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The company was founded by John Brenkus and Mickey Stern. For more information, please visit www.BASEproductions.com.
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