Diesel rocket passes 300mph in record bid

By Phil McNamara

Motor Industry

18 August 2006 09:30

The 1500bhp JCB Dieselmax has passed 300mph in a test run for its diesel land speed record attempt.

The sleek racer – powered by twin diesel engines each producing 750bhp – touched 308.252mph yesterday (Thursday 17 August). That smashes the current diesel car world record of 235.756mph, set in 1973. Andy Green, who achieved the supersonic speed of 763.035mph in ThrustSSC nine years ago, was at the wheel.

The team, funded by British construction equipment maker JCB, is striving to break the record in the next week. The runs are taking place on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA. 'The run went exactly by the book,' said Green. 'The car was pulling like a train and it behaved perfectly, with virtually zero wheelspin. I could feel the car moving around a little at today's maximum speed but it remained very controllable,' said the world's fastest and most unflappable man.

The team is confident it can post an even faster speed, when the officially timed run takes place. 'We were not flat out today,' declared Green. There was a dramatic moment when the Dieselmax's first braking parachute failed. However, the exhaust brake and a second 'chute deployed to bring the runaway rocket to a halt.

By Phil McNamara