subject: Who Is The Fastest On Ice? [print this page] The competition of who is the fastest on ice continues every winter. Tyre manufacturers appreciate this honour, and try to beat the previous years results even it was in their own name.
Driving on ice puts winter tyres (in Swedish, vinterdck) to extreme test. When driving high speed on a slippery surface, the tyres are the only touch points to surface. On slippery ice tyres maximum grip, great structural integrity and a strong performance is needed.
The results are sent to The Guinness World Records, which defines the precise rules for the record. A one mile journey time is measured driven in both directions of the track. The world record is the average of these two measurements. The departure time is flying, and the time allowed for the performance is one hour. The ice has to be natural and should not be roughed up or treated with chemicals. Tyres must be commercially available and approved for road traffic in the country where the record run.
Currently the record is held by Nokian Tyres' test driver Janne Laitinen, who drove the speed of 331.610 kilometers per hour (206.05 mph) in the Gulf of Bothnia near Oulu at last winter. The record was made on the 6th of March on sea ice, where the 14 kilometers long track was clearer. The car was equipped with Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 studded tires.
When the car travels 331 kilometers an hour, it passes by more than 92 meters a second. High speeds like this put tyres under an immense pressure, and the diameter of the tyre can increase by up to 15-20 millimeters. Due to this the air resistance increases and more traction is needed.
The award winning driver Janne Laitinen has been one of the Nokian Tyres test drivers for more than 20 years. He told that at the day of setting the record, the weather was chilling and the ice was exceptionally slippery. A slight discomfort was caused by the other end of the track, which was bumpy that caused the drivers head to hit the roof couple of times. However, according to Janne Laitinen there is not much time to think when driving that fast: all the focus must be held on keeping the car on the track.
