The new world record for fastest car on ice was set by Nokian Tyres' Finnish test driver Janne Laitinen who drove 331,610 km/h (206,05 mph) on the Gulf of Bothnia in Oulu, Finland. The record was broken on March 6th on a 14-kilometer ice track in freezing conditions. The world's leading winter tyre manufacturer equipped the record-breaking car with Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 studded tyres (255/35R20 97 T XL).

Extreme speeds emphasize the role of top-quality tyres; they are the vehicle’s only contact point with the driving surface. When driving at exceptionally high speeds on slippery ice, the tyres must provide maximal grip, excellent structural durability and handling properties that are in line with the car's high power.

The acceleration formula is demanding. When a car moves at a speed of 331 km/h, the car covers over 92 meters in one second. The tyres are under immense pressure at these high speeds, and their diameter can increase by 15–20 mm.

As the air resistance increases, more traction is needed in order to pick up speed. Testing at high speeds in demanding conditions forms an important part of the Nokian winter tyre (in Finnish: talvirengas) development. Testing the boundaries can teach new things, which can then be reflected in all of the products explains Matti Morri from the Nokian Tyres' Technical Customer Service Manager.

The Guinness World Records organization outlines detailed rules for ice driving world records. The time for the one-kilometer distance is taken for driving in both directions of the track, and the world record time is the average of these two results. The vehicle takes a flying start. There is a total of one hour to complete the record attempt. The ice has to be natural and it may not be roughed up or treated with any chemicals. The tyres must be commercially available and approved for road traffic in the country in which the record attempt takes place.

Nokian winter tyre master of extreme conditions

Nokian Tyres developed the world’s first winter tyre for raw, subzero conditions back in 1934. Two years later, it introduced the Hakkapeliitta, designed for northern winters and today one of the world’s best-known winter tyre brands. The world’s northernmost tyre manufacturer tests and develops new additions, customized for different uses, for its winter tyre family at its own test facilities in Ivalo, 300 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle.

Nokian Tyres is the only tyre manufacturer in the world that focuses on products and services that facilitate safe transportation in Nordic conditions. The company's innovative passenger car, van and heavy-duty machinery tyres are mainly marketed in areas that have snow, forest and changing seasons that make driving conditions demanding. Nokian Tyres owns the Vianor tyre chain that comprises more than 770 stores in 20 countries. The company's net sales for 2010 totalled approximately EUR 1,058 million, and it had 3,500 employees.