Nokian aids tractor speed record

NOKIA, Finland (April 13, 2015) — Add “world's fastest tractor” to Nokian Tyres P.L.C.'s resume of world record attempts.

Nokian, which two years ago supplied tires for the world speed record on ice, this time around worked with Finnish tractor maker Valtra Inc. for an attempt at the title of world's fastest tractor.

Suolahti, Finland-based Valtra recruited multiple World Rally Champion Juha Kankkunen to drive its 250-horsepower Valtra T234 on a snowy and icy course set up at an airfield in Finland's Lapland.

Mr. Kankkunen delivered the goods, pushing the 7.7-ton vehicle to a two-way average of 80.9 mph on the course at the airfield at Vuojärvi, Finland,

Nokian supplied what it claims is the world's first winter tire for tractors, the Hakkapeliitta TRI — size 440/80R28 151D for the steer axle and 540/80R38 167D for the rear. Nokian launched the tire line in 2014.

“Testing at the extremes is at the core of activities and it requires unique skill. We wanted to show the true performance of the new Nokian Hakkapeliitta TRI,” said Tero Saari, project manager, R&D for Nokian Tyres.

“It is quite a remarkable sight when you see a 7.7-ton machine flying past at over [80 mph] with a quadruple World Rally Champion behind the wheel! When a tractor is driven that fast on a winter road, it requires great grip, stability and handling properties. These have been our targets during the development of the Nokian Hakkapeliitta TRI.”

The record took place Feb. 19, Nokian said. The course was laid out on a 1.4-mile strip of packed snow; the speed for the record attempt was recorded in a 165-foot long speed trap in the middle of strip.

The Guinness World Records organization defines specific rules for the world record for fastest tractor. The time for the tractor to travel through the 165-foot speed trap is measured in both directions. The world record is an average of these two measurements.

In 2013 Nokian test driver Janne Laitinen set the record for driving on ice, piloting a Nokian Hakkapeliita-equipped Audi RS6 to a speed of 208.6 mph on the ice of the Gulf of Bothnia, an arm of the Baltic Sea between Finland and Sweden.