One of the Fastest Trucks in the World Has Two Jet Engines
The truck, built by Les Shockley, used two jet engines to reach speeds up to 350 mph and power up to 25,000 hp.
Written by Alexandra Maloney
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
One of the fastest
trucks
to ever exist isn’t exactly certified for street driving. That’s because, the vehicle now known as the Hot Streak II, or just as one of the fastest trucks in the world, was a 1957 Chevrolet pickup truck built with two jet engines. Reaching speeds of up to 350 mph, this truck is definitely
one of the fastest
, and one of a kind—here’s what you need to know about it. How did one of the fastest trucks in the world come to be?
One of the fastest trucks in the world is a truck built in the early 1990s by Les Shockley. Shockley was the king of jet-powered vehicles, and originally named this extremely fast vehicle the Super Shockwave when he first created it, although that name was later changed to the Hot Streak II.
According to
Interesting Engineers
, Shockley got his hands on a jet that had been put out of service, and decided to find a way to use the pair of Westinghouse J34s turbojet engines on a Chevrolet 1957 truck. Shockley ended up modifying the engines with afterburners, as well as replacing the Chevrolet truck metal body with fiberglass. As a result of his hard work, he produced a car that looked like a Chevrolet truck, but reached speeds that were unimaginable. The truck is powered by two jet engines
The two jet engines on this truck reach speeds of up to 350 mph and carry a horsepower of over 25,000. The two Westinghouse J34 engines that Shockley sourced from a Navy T-2 Buckeye Airplane were modified until they fit on the car and gave it serious power and speed. If this car had wings, it might even take off!
HotCars
reports that the vehicle weighs 4,300 lbs and is 17 feet long. As if the speed wasn’t show-stopping enough, the fiberglass used for the vehicle is a bright red color meant to turn heads. In order for the vehicle to actually drive, three sets of 15-inch wheels wrapped in land-speed spec sticky tires were installed. Where is the Hot Streak II today?
Today, the Hot Streak II is owned and driven by Hayden Proffitt II. The incredible vehicle was actually purchased first from Les Shockley by Hayden Proffitt II’s grandfather, who then passed the Super Shockwave down to his grandson.
When Hayden Proffitt II was given the vehicle, he changed the name from Super Shockwave to the Hot Streak II, after his grandfather’s dragster. According to
Motor1
, Proffitt II served in the Air Force as a mechanic for the F-15 fighter and the B-2 bomber, so he held a special appreciation for the jet powered vehicle. If you want to get a look at the Hot Streak II in person,
Cleveland Air Show
reports that today, Hot Streak II can be seen in action inside their Air Show gates. Fans jump to their feet to watch the car race a real airplane speeding along a runway, rooting for the historic car to overtake a plane. Even all these years after its creation, Les Shockley’s vehicle still remains one of the fastest trucks in the world.
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