JCB FASTRAC STORMS INTO RECORD BOOKS!

JCB’s Fastrac has stormed into the record books after being crowned the world’s fastest tractor. Fastrac Two hit a peak speed of 153.771mph on its way to recording an average of 135.191mph

With Fastrac One achieving the British record earlier this year, Fastrac Two was engineered to achieve a world record-breaking speed.

Fastrac Two - designed and built by a team of young engineers in Staffordshire, secured the latest title at Elvington Airfield in York with motorbike racer and lorry mechanic, Guy Martin at the wheel.

The feat was officially ratified by Guinness World Records.

“This has been a massive undertaking, and I was a very small cog in the machine. But to be that small cog was a massive honour, so thank you very much to JCB and its engineering team, who got this tractor absolutely spot-on. Just look at it, they get stuff done, they’re brilliant, and this is a work of art.” Guy Martin.

Streamlined bodywork had a role to play, with aerodynamic analysis and development conducted by Williams Advanced Engineering with the help of Rob Smedley, ex-Williams head of vehicle performance, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A surface creation was also carried out by JCB’s Industrial Design Team. The results gave Fastrac Two a 10% reduction in drag over Fastrac One.

• We made the standard cab 200mm lower and 300mm narrower
• The whole machine was made 200mm lower
• New cab air deflectors were developed
• A front splitter, belly plate and rear diffuser was added

Both JCB’s record-breaking achievements took place at Elvington Airfield near York, England. The airfield was originally used by the RAF during WW2 and has a runway measuring 1.92 miles, one of the longest in Britain. Consequently, it has proved a popular location for speed tests and has a history of record-breaking attempts.