The 2017 Chevrolet Silverado HD has set a new Guinness World Record.
Powered by the new Duramax 6.6-liter turbocharged V8 diesel engine, the Chevrolet Silverado HD pulled a United States flag measuring nearly 40 by 80 feet, with an area of 3,186 square feet. To set the new record, the truck had to travel 328 feet (100 meters) without the flag touching the ground and the Silverado more than exceeded that requirement, completing four laps around the Texas Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile oval.
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The American automaker actually created two flags for the event, the U.S. flag used for the Guinness World Record and a State of Texas flag to celebrate the start of the 2016 State Fair of Texas. Both flags will be on display at the event through October 23.
In order to set the record, Chevrolet used unique 40-foot riggings on the trucks that were designed to fold rearward so that the Silverado HD could quickly enter and exit the track. That particular design requirement made it impossible to do a driving roll-out of the massive flag, so a team of 20 people launched and retrieved the flags, ensuring they did not touch the ground.
“The Duramax 6.6L’s 445 horsepower and 910 pound-feet of torque are dramatic numbers, deserving of a dramatic introduction,” said Sandor Piszar, Chevrolet Truck marketing director. “And it’s all the more fitting to introduce it on the eve of the State Fair of Texas, in the country’s largest truck market.”
