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 153.771 mph on its way to recording an average of 135.191 mph.

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 JCB engineers, secured the latest title at Elvington Airfield in the U.K. with motorcycle racer and sports personality, 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 honor, 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 percent reduction in drag over Fastrac One.

• We made the standard cab 8 inches (200 mm) lower and 12 inches (300 mm) narrower
• The whole machine was made 8 inches (200 mm) lower
• New cab air deflectors were developed
• A front splitter, belly plate and rear diffuser was added

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