Shockwave is a family of two jet-powered American trucks: Shockwave, a 1984
Peterbilt
Peterbilt Motors Company is an List of American truck manufacturers, American truck manufacturer specializing in the production of heavy-duty (Truck classification#Class 8, Class 8) and medium-duty (Classes 5–7) commercial vehicles. The names ...
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truck tractor, and Super Shockwave, a
1957 Chevy truck. The original Shockwave truck was destroyed in a 2022 crash; the Super Shockwave truck continues to be used in performances under a different name.
Shockwave
"Shockwave" was the first of the Shockwave family of trucks. It still holds the world record for jet-powered full-sized trucks at .
The truck had three
Westinghouse J34-48 jet engines, with a total output of , which allowed the truck to complete the quarter-mile in 6.63 seconds.
Shockwave was driven by Chris Darnell, who used the truck to compete against planes going in a rolling drag race at airshows, often winning. It consumed fuel at a rate equal to 400 gallons per mile (940 liters per km), even more when the afterburners were activated. To slow the truck down at the end of a race, it needed two aircraft parachutes.
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Crash
On July 2, 2022, at 1:10 p.m. EDT at the Battle Creek Field of Flight and Balloon Festival at Battle Creek Executive Airport in Battle Creek, Michigan
Battle Creek is a city in northwestern Calhoun County, Michigan, United States, at the confluence of the Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo and Battle Creek River, Battle Creek rivers. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a tota ...
, the Shockwave Jet Truck experienced a catastrophic rollover event following a mechanical failure, killing the driver Chris Darnell and destroying the truck. The performance involved Darnell racing against two inverted aircraft from a standing start while driving by a large pyrotechnic display, and had been successfully demonstrated by Darnell numerous times in the past.Facebook
Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...
post that evening. Battle Creek police identified a blown tire as the likely cause of the crash.
Super Shockwave
"Super Shockwave" is the more recent of the Shockwave trucks. It has two Westinghouse J34-48 jet engines. The truck is built on a 1957 Chevy truck cab. In the full mile, the truck is able to reach .
Renaming
Super Shockwave was purchased from the Shockley family by Hayden Proffitt Racing and renamed "Hot Streak II". Les Shockley had obtained his start in racing through crewing for Hayden Proffitt, whose first jet car was named "Hot Streak I".
Gallery
References
External links
* {{official website, http://www.shockwavejettruck.com
Trucks
Jet cars