World's fastest stockcar heads to NZ

American Ken Vincent intends to have a crack at NZ's 348.28km/h land speed record in this modified Dodge Nascar. Photo / Supplied

The fastest Nascar in the world is heading to New Zealand to star in the third annual Speedshow at the ASB showgrounds.

Driven by multiple land and water speed record-holder Russ Wicks, the Nascar-spec (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) Dodge Charger set the world land speed record for Nascar of 397km/h in 2007 on the Bonneville Salt Flats.

Now, its new owner Ken Vincent will use the car in an attempt to break the current New Zealand land speed record of 348.24km/h held by Aucklander Owen Evans.

"But before the New Zealand land speed record attempt, the Nascar will be on show exclusively at Speedshow'09 in September," says Vincent, who was a world champion and held his own world record in NHRA drag racing at just 17 years of age when living in the US.

Speedshow organiser Keith Sharp is delighted to have the opportunity to show such a unique car. "It's fantastic that Ken has agreed to make the car available to Speedshow exclusively. The photos of the car at Bonneville look amazing and it's worth searching for Russ Wicks on YouTube.com to see more about this successful world record attempt."

Property investor Vincent has enjoyed a long and varied competitive motorsport career in New Zealand after returning from the US with his family in the early 1970s.

"I've been fortunate to race all kinds of cars, including dragsters, rally cars, and various circuit racers, but sprint cars and speedway are probably my all-time favourite," says Vincent, who was the 1973 New Zealand sprint car champion.

"I have always liked the idea of trying to set a new land speed record for New Zealand and I decided that if I was going to do it, I'd like something like a Nascar around me.

"You know that these cars are seriously well built when you watch the Nascar guys walk away from massive crashes, as happened just the other week to Carl Edwards at Talladega.

"This car is a genuine Nascar, built for racing at Talladega, and modified by Russ Wicks and his American Challenge team to run the straight line course across the Bonneville Salt Flats. Russ is actually the only living driver to have set official speed records of over 200 miles [321km/h] on both land and water, so it's something of a privilege to now own one of his record-breaking cars."

Vincent has yet to confirm when he will attempt the New Zealand land speed record, the holder of which receives the Castrol trophy from MotorSport New Zealand.