After successfully competing in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb with a modified Kenworth T2000 last month, Kenworth and Contract Freighters Inc. of Joplin, MO, are trying to set a new land speed record for a heavy-duty truck this week.

The Kenworth/CFI racing team is in Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats this week to participate in the 1999 Bonneville National Speed Week. CFI chairman and president Glenn Brown is slated to drive the T2 in the Highway Hauler classification. The goal is to break the record of 147.696 mph set by George Neilsen in 1995.
While Speed Week also includes unlimited and modified classes for diesel trucks, the Highway Hauler class comes closest to a stock truck. This category is for diesel-powered trucks that weigh 14,500 pounds or more, have a fifth wheel pad mounted in the original location, and are capable of hauling freight. A stock cab, fitted with both driver and passenger seats, must be used and mounted in the original location with respect to the chassis.
The Kenworth/CFI entry has a Cummins K-series engine with 2,200 horsepower and dual turbochargers, Bridgestone airplane tires made for the Boeing 737, a special racing fuel cell, and mandatory roll cage in the cab. Parachutes help bring the truck to a stop.
For more information on Speed Week, visit the Southern California Timing Assn.'s web site at http://www.scta-bni.org.