JCB has announced it has set a new British speed record for tractors with its Fastrac machine.
The tractor clocked 103.6mph at Elvington Airfield, near York, with TV presenter and engineering specialist Guy Martin behind the wheel.
The previous record was 87.27mph, set last year by Top Gear’s Track-Tor.
Guy Martin said, “It had been a great day with the JCB at Elvington, proper job with some right proper engineers. She felt rock steady on the runway; job’s a peach.”
A team of JCB engineers had been working on the secret project to develop the tractor over the past few months.
JCB Chairman Lord Bamford said, “We’ve long harboured a dream to attempt a speed record with the Fastrac and the whole team has worked tirelessly to achieve this amazing result. I’m extremely proud of what they have achieved in such a short space of time. It is British engineering at its best and it really does highlight the skills and innovation we have in our engineering team. They have done a truly fantastic job.”
The manufacturer said it was Lord Bamford’s idea to develop a tractor which had a high road speed capable of field work. The speed record was achieved exactly 28 years to the day since the first production model rolled off the line.
