A vehicle was clocked doing 317 miles per hour yesterday.
What makes this special is that it was at the Bonneville Salt Flats and that the vehicle was powered by a Diesel Engine.
Here is the website for the JCS Dieselmax project. From this news release:
JCB DIESELMAX POWERS TO BONNEVILLE SPEED RECORDThe record they are looking to break was set in August, 25, 1973 by Virgil Snyder in the Thermo King Streamliner -- 235.756 mph. Since these are just time trials, the "official" record has not been broken yet but considering that when they finish this series, they are putting in a larger engine, it looks like they are planning to shatter the old record instead of just nudging it aside. JCB makes construction equipment sold worldwide and the engines they are using are the same as found in their larger backhoes.
The international diesel land-speed record for diesel-powered vehicles moved a step closer today as the JCB DIESELMAX broke the Bonneville Salt Flats course record with a measured-mile speed of 317.021mph.
Having already achieved a recorded average speed over a measured mile of 308mph in the late afternoon of Thursday 17 August, the JCB DIESELMAX needed to complete a second run within 24 hours at least matching this speed in order to take the record.
Today the second run was completed successfully achieving an average speed of 325mph. The average speed of the two runs was thus recorded as 317mph, thus establishing the JCB DIESELMAX as the fastest-ever diesel over the Bonneville course.
�Entering the Bonneville record books is a wonderful way to complete JCB�s participation in Speed Week and team confidence is high as we prepare the car for the record attempt next week,� said Project Director, Dr Tim Leverton, �the team has done a wonderful job but the biggest challenge is still ahead of us.�
Having achieved the course record, the JCB DIESELMAX team will now prepare the vehicle for its official FIA record attempt. The car will now be fitted with the 750bhp JCB444-LSR �record� engines.
For the world record attempt the JCB DIESELMAX will need to complete two runs within the space of one hour from entry of the measured mile on the first run to exit on the second.
I got to see that DieselMax on the salt last week, though sadly, not running. That JCB team has a deluxe setup out there, with tractor-trailor rigs with pull-out patios and food catered in. The car had a fuel pump problem the afternoon I was there. It certainly looked like a first class car though.