The Weird World of Wheels: Crazy Speed Records

This week we look at the craziest speed records ever.

James May’s Scalextric speed record attempt

In this great clip from his series ‘Top Toys’ Top Gear presenter and Auto Trader interviewee James May constructs a scale measured-mile in what he considers “the greatest car racing game ever” – Scalextric - and attempts to break the game’s official speed record of 458mph.

Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond’s co-host assembles a massive track in an aircraft hangar to see if he can set a new world land speed record for a wheel-driven vehicle in Scalextric – with a scale model Ford GT, and a little help from his friends.

Click the play button below to see the results.

(Want to know more about the Ford GT? Read our ultimate Ford GT story now.)

The Mach 9 rocket sled

With a top speed of 257mph, the Bugatti Veyron-beating SSC Ultimate Aero (which we ran a story on earlier this year) is the world's fastest production car.

But how about a land-based vehicle which travels at over nine times the speed of sound?

Earlier this year military scientists in the United States created a multi-stage rocket sled which travelled down a track at a whopping Mach 9.

The sled, carrying 'a classified payload', was tested on a 15,000 foot track enclosed by an inflatable helium tunnel - a track designed for a maximum speed of Mach 12.

The fastest, funniest drag racer

In 2004 58-year-old National Hot Rod Association drag racer John Force drove his 'funny car' (right) at a terminal velocity of 333.58mph from a standing start - securing him a spot in the Guinness World Records Book for 'Fastest Speed in a Funny Car'.

Mr Force, a Ford driver and team owner, is 14-time Funny Car champion, has 125 race victories under his belt, and once made a cameo appearance on animated TV series 'King of the Hill'.