A group of Boise State students have broken the land speed racing record. Calling themselves Greenspeed, the College of Engineering students hit 155.331MPH with their vegetable-oil-powered pickup truck.
Led by Dave Schenker and Patrick Johnston, the students created a 700 horsepower Chevy S-10 pickup that could run on diesel or vegetable oil.
The student group acquired sponsors to cover the cost of the truck, after each member threw in $100.00 to buy the S-10 pickup.
Greenspeed added a 10-point rollcage to the ’98 Chevy, along with a 7-point harness. They also installed a P7100 mechanical injection system, a completely separate tank for the vegetable oil, and a heating element to keep the oil thin.
The race, which took place at SCTA (Southern California Timing Association) was run earlier this month. Greenspeed made a first run on vegetable oil, hitting 139MPH. Their second run of the S-10 pickup was powered by a blend of cottonseed and sunflower oil. With this concoction, Greenspeed hit 155.331MPH.
The team’s next goal is breaking the standard regular diesel record of 215MPH.