JCB New speed record
18.11 .2019
W hen tractors drive particularly fast, it evidently exerts its own fascination some people out. That is why record drives with the agricultural machinery that are effective in the media take place again and again. For example in February 2015. Ex-World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen brought the Valtra T234 to 130.165 km /h. With that, the Finnish racing driver and the Finnish tractor made it into the Guinness Book of World Records. Three years later there was a new record: “The Stig”, the anonymous racing driver from the cult car show “Top Gear”, drove a “track gate” that was converted in the show to 140.335 km /h.
Almost 250 km /h top speed
But this record only lasted a year. In June 2019, the British agricultural and construction machinery manufacturer JCB reached the 103.6 mph mark with its Fastrac, which corresponds to exactly 166.7 km /h. However, this trip was not listed on Guinness - probably not all regulations were met. In November 2019 the British stepped up again. Guy Martin set a new speed record for tractors, now recognized by Guinness. Averaged over two trips over one kilometer each, a new record of 135.91 mph was achieved - the equivalent of 218.7 km /h. The absolute top speed was even determined to be 153.77 mph - 247.5 km /h.
7.2 liter displacement, 1,0204 hp, 2,500 Nm
The races were again at Elvington Airfield near York. The once again optimized JCB Fastrac record tractor relies on a six-cylinder diesel engine with a displacement of 7.2 liters, which generates 1,020 hp and delivers a maximum torque of 2,500 Newton meters. At the same time, the JCB engineers put the Fastrac strictly on a diet in preparation for the record attempt. With the help of Formula 1-experienced designers from Williams Advanced Engineering, the aerodynamics for the new record attempt were further improved. The charge air was specially cooled with dry ice, and water injection was new on board. A braking parachute was adapted for more braking power.
Not the JCB team's first record
Guy Martin, a former motorcycle racer and current TV presenter, was behind the wheel. 'It was a party, the tractor felt as stable as a stone on the runway,' said Martin after the successful record attempt, which will be reported in detail on British television later in the year.
JCB
By the way, JCB has experience with speed records. In 2006 the British broke the record for land vehicles with diesel engines on the Bonneville Salt Flats in the USA. An aerodynamically optimized car powered by two JCB DieselMax engines drove at 350.092 mph (563.4 km /h). The record still holds today.
