A highly-tuned JCB Fastrac has set a new British speed record for tractors. Driven by motor cycle racer and TV presenter Guy Martin, the British-built Fastrac averaged 103.6mph, at Elvington airfield near York.
In doing so, the yellow-liveried machine beat the previous 87.2mph record set in March 2018 by Top Gear’s creation, the Track-Tor.
Show-casing the design and innovation capability within the JCB organisation, the 103mph Fastrac was powered by a tuned version of JCB’s 7.2 litre, 6-cylinder DieselMax engine, and is capable of delivering up to 1,000hp and 2,500Nm of torque.
Dubbed the World’s fastest tractor, this model is a hybrid of the Staffordshire maker’s current 4000/8000 series Fastrac models. Removing much of the hydraulic system, replacing the CVT box with a six-speed mechanical transmission, and ditching the three-point linkage helped trim excess weight.
Aerodynamics were improved using a revised cab measuring 200mm lower and 300mm narrower than the regular 4000’s cab, while cooling packs were relocated into side-pods, to reduce the tractor’s frontal area. It all added up to a streamlined design that helped the Fastrac cut through the air, to lift the British speed record comfortably into three figures.
