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GKN helps JCB break record

The engineering team at GKN Wheels and Structures were one of the key partners in JCB’s recent speed record. Following two successful runs at Elvington Airfield in York, the JCB Fastrac broke the world record for a tractor, achieving a peak speed of an incredible 153.771mph and an average of 135.191mph.

With the previous record of 103.6mph having been set by JCB’s Fastrac One in June 2019, the project team embarked on an ambitious plan to break the record again with Fastrac Two – which was 10% lighter and even more streamlined than its predecessor. Having been involved in the design of the wheels and chassis for the first world record, GKN Wheels and Structures was again invited to work with JCB’s team of young engineers to develop and manufacture wheels and a lightweight chassis that were capable of meeting the additional challenges of Fastrac Two.

For the Fastrac Two wheels, the company developed a product capable of not only working with the new tyre design, but also of coping with different load requirements and different front and rear offsets - compared to the standard Fastrac tractor wheel. After producing a number of prototypes for trials, the final specification was agreed for a 12x28” wheel and the new discs and rims were manufactured and assembled at GKN Wheels’ Telford plant, which following a major programme of investment is one of the most advanced off-highway rim manufacturing facilities in the world. The wheels were then finished in the plant’s new electro-coat and powder-coat facility to produce an enhanced, automotive-standard finish.

Watch Fastrac Two driver Guy Martin’s record-breaking run below.

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