Official: World’s Fastest Tractor Goes 135 MPH

A year ago, Britain's Top Gear TV show decided to see how fast they could go in a tractor. They put a 5.7 liter, 500hp Chevy V-8 in a tractor and got it up to 87 mph. This past summer, some more crazy Brits decided they could do better. They got a (heavily) modified JCB Fastrac 8000 tractor up to 103 mph. That wasn't enough.

According to MSN News, on October 23rd, the same guys came back to Elvington Airfield in Great Britain, with the same tractor, with a 7.2-liter diesel engine, modified to deliver about 1,000 horsepower. The original CVT gearbox had been replaced by a six-speed transmission and it had a more aerodynamic cabin. That day they got an average speed (two runs in opposite directions to account for wind and elevation differences) of over 135 mph - with a top speed of 153.7 mph. It's now recognized as an official Guinness World Record.

Your move. We can probably close the Lansing airport for a while - or just block traffic on Price Road in Clinton County. Call me when you're ready.

Here's the story - with subtitles, thank goodness.