A new record for the fastest man, and tyre, on ice
Janne Laitinen is the fastest driver on ice….in the world. The Finnish test driver teamed up with Nokian Tyres to break the record on the ice covering the Gulf of Bothnia, the Baltic Sea’s northerly cul-de-sac. For the record attempt on 9 March, Laitenen drove an Audi RS6 fitted with size 255/35R20 97 T XL Nokian Hakkapeliitta 8 studded tyres. In freezing winter weather, Laitenen’s Nokian-shod car reached an eye watering 208.602 mph (335.713 km/h).
“Relentless testing at extreme limits always works to serve the interests of the consumer,” shared Matti Morri, technical customer service manager for Nokian Tyres. “We wanted to set an extremely tough challenge for the new Hakkapeliitta 8. At extreme speeds, the forces focused on the tyres are enormous, as the car travels over 93 metres per second and the studs hit the ice 43 times. As the air resistance increases, we need even more grip to accelerate the car. In addition to grip, handling and stability are also essential.”
The Finnish driver and tyre maker are no strangers to ice records. Laitinen and Nokian previously broke the ice speed record in March 2011 with a top speed of 206.05 mph (331.61 km/h) – on studded Hakkapeliitta 7 tyres in size 255/35R20 97 T XL – and a year ago the Finn took an electric car up to 156.62 mph (252.06 km/h) on Lake Ukonjärvi.
Last week’s speed counts as a Guinness world record. The Guinness organisation defines specific rules for the world record for driving on ice. The time for the one-kilometre distance is measured in both directions. The world record is an average of these two measurements. The vehicle takes a flying start, and the allowed time to achieve the record is only one hour. The ice must be natural, and it must not be roughened or treated with chemicals. The tyres must be commercially available and approved for road use in the country where the record is made.
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