Banks Sets The Record Straight

As the last chunks of salt are chipped off the race cars there is a post speed week battle forming. The SPAL Ford Powerstroke Rocket Ranger team is claiming the title of World's Fastest Diesel Pickup Truck. Gale Banks says this simply isn't true, stating that the Banks Engineering Cummins-powered Dodge Dakota Sidewinder still holds the official FIA World Record – set in 2002.

They have the national record, finally, at 215.091 but, the SCTA-BNI International and FIA (the acknowledged World record sanctioning body for motorsports, the Federation International d'Automobile) World's record are still held by our 'Banks Sidewinder Dakota' at 217.301. And know this, setting a World's record is more than one-way speed. To claim such a record, you must make runs in two directions over the surveyed mile within 60 minutes and do so under close FIA supervision and scrutiny.

Banks adds that the same record setting Dodge Dakota is not a trailer queen, having towed a loaded trailer and averaged over 23 miles per gallon on the 2005 Hot Rod Magazine Power Tour. Talk of broken records and bragging rights has Banks thinking it may be time to revisit the long black line for more record runs.

The Spal guys have made it interesting, sounds like I might need to dust off the Sidewinder and get salty. The bragging rights over 'fastest' might sometimes be a blur at 200+ miles per hour, but the truth is not. That's why FIA World Records are so important, and that's why they're so important to keep straight.

The velocity battle, has evidently begun. [Banks Sidewinder via Bankspower.com]