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Zircotec coatings help UK team smash world steam car speed record

25th August 2009

 

Congratulations go to the UK based Steam Car Challenge Team who achieved a new world land speed record earlier today (8.19am California time).

 

The steam car, Inspiration, recorded an average speed of 139.843mph (225.06km/h) at Edwards Air Base, in the Mojave Desert, smashing the 1906 record.

 

For the Federation International Automobile record, the Hampshire-based team had to finish two runs in opposite directions, less than an hour apart.

 

Principal driver Charles Burnett III piloted the car for both runs reaching a peak speed of 136.103mph (219.04km/h) on the first run and 151.085mph (243.15 km/h) on the second. The new world record, which is subject to official confirmation by the FIA, breaks the previous official FIA record of 127mph (204km/h) set in 1906 by American, Fred Marriott.

 

The car, weighing three-tonne and measuring 25-feet in length, is made from a mixture of lightweight carbon-fibre composite and aluminium wrapped around a steel space frame chassis. The steam power comes from 12 boilers containing nearly two miles of tubing. Having smashed the world record, the car will be brought back to England and will be displayed at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire.

 

Zircotec is proud to have supported the Hampshire-based steam car team since 2007, and we congratulate the team on their success. We are pleased that the car is to be returned to the UK to take its place at Beaulieu.

 

For further details visit the Steam Car WebSite, or see the BBC News Channel feed.