I have become seriously enamored with the world of land speed racing over the last few years and the reasons are many. The racers I have interacted have been amazing people, the cars and motorcycles that people have dreamt up and built to compete are mind-blowing, and the whole attitude of the sport is unique to anything else in motorized competition. Oh, there’s also seeing people accomplish lofty goals….that may be at the top of the list. Whether the goal is 80-mph or 200-mph, the drive, determination, and hard work are all the same. Land speed racers are not defined by the largess of the numbers they produce but rather by the plodding, deliberate, and satisfying small victories along the way that lead to the big victories that mark a career. Jerry Hoffmann’s small victories led him to a big one last weekend in Wilmington, Ohio at the ECTA meet where he went over 200mph for the first time and by doing so, reset a record and put himself in the ECTA 200mph club. It was simply awesome to watch.

Jerry is the owner and CEO of DIY Autotune, the company behind the highly successful and very popular Megasquirt EFI systems that can be found on lots of hot rods, race cars, and literally any other type of internal combustion engine you can think of, no matter how big or small. Jerry had been to a couple of ECTA meets and at the last one went well over 170mph. It was at that meet where he realized that some handling issues were going to hinder further progress and they needed to make some chassis changes to the car.

Ryan Fain, a member of Lee Sicilio’s record setting Dodge Daytona Bonneville team, was called and has been working with Jerry and the guys to get the chassis and handling in tip top shape before going to Ohio, and ultimately to Bonneville in August. Ryan’s changes made a huge difference, as Jerry was able to get all the power down for the first time ever in the 2JZ powered Nissan. Jerry battled a couple of inertia switch issues early in the day and on a run that looked promising, a switch killed the car and it coasted to a 183mph lap….the thing was making good steam though.

If the name Ryan Fain sounds familiar, that’s because he is the brain child behind the incredible chassis under Lee Sicilio’s Twilight Zone Daytona that we hope to see run 300 during Speed Week this year.

Jerry Hoffman and the DIY AutoTune crew have been instrumental in the success of the Scott Clark tuned Twighlight Zone Daytona, as they have been attending Speed Week and working very closely with the team on more and more EFI Development. Jerry, Matt, and all the DIY staff have been very active in the Land Speed Racing community over the past several years, and their willingness to help out and thrash on the salt has help dozens of racers set records at Bonneville.

Their willingness to help every other racer possible, is what makes their own racing success even more special to us. We’ve seen their dedication, their selflessness, and their disregard for sleep, and it makes them incredibly great people to be around.

On his next lap, the one you will watch below, Hoffmann looked very strong early on and then at the half mile he was coming down the course like he meant it and my eyes were not lying. Jerry ripped through the traps at 202mph, putting himself in the record books. The Nissan 240SX is powered by a Toyota 2JZ inline six with a turbo and enough power to turn the dyno to the tune of 758hp at the tires. Jerry used all those horses to run the 202 at Wilmington and I (along with all the other ECTA people) was very happy to see that number spit out on the time slip. Hell, you’ll have to watch the video to see what Joe Timney did, it is hilarious!

Next stop Bonneville baby! Hoffman and the team are looking forward to Bonneville where Jerry will attempt to get into his second 200MPH Club in as many events. We’ll be there following all the action, so stay tuned!

CHAD SAYS: 

Ryan Fain, a member of Lee Sicilio’s record setting Dodge Daytona Bonneville team, has been working with Jerry and the guys to get the chassis and handling in tip top shape before going to Bonneville. Ryan is the brain child behind the incredible chassis under Lee’s Twilight Zone Daytona that we hope to see run 300 during Speed Week this year.

Jerry Hoffman and the DIY AutoTune crew have been instrumental in the success of the Scott Clark tuned Twighlight Zone Daytona, as they have been attending Speed Week and working very closely with the team on more and more EFI Development. Jerry, Matt, and all the DIY staff have been very active in the Land Speed Racing community over the past several years, and their willingness to help out and thrash on the salt has help dozens of racers set records.

Their willingness to help every other racer possible, is what makes their own racing success even more special to us. We’ve seen their dedication, their selflessness, and their disregard for sleep, and it makes them incredibly great people to be around.

Their official press release, photos, video, etc are below, AND DON’T FORGET THEY ARE DOING A 10% OFF SALE IN CELEBRATION OF THEIR RECORD. USE THE CODE 202FAST TO GET YOUR SAVINGS ON DIYAUTOTUNE.COM

Congratulations Jerry! And Congratulations to all the DIY AutoTune staff and crew that helped make this possible. You guys deserve it.

PRESS PLAY BELOW TO SEE JERRY HOFFMANN BUST INTO THE ECTA 200MPH CLUB AT THE OHIO MILE –

DIYAutoTune’s MegaSquirt 3-Pro 240SX Breaks 200 MPH And The Record!

#787 nets Fastest Non-Moto Speed of the Day and Hoffmann takes 200 mph Club Honors
Atlanta, GA: Today, DIYAutoTune, an industry leader in feature-rich plug-n-play and professional engine management systems, announced that their #787 Nissan 240SX Land Speed contender driven by owner/ CEO, Jerry Hoffmann, has done it again! THREE times to be exact! Hoffmann proved that he is a force to be reckoned with in the F-motor Blown Gas Coupe class, pushing the East Coast Timing Association record to an astonishing 202.247 mph and earning a seat in the 200 MPH Club. The previous record, set by Hoffmann in May, was already a beast for the class at 177.09 mph and the success began to attract media attention. This became quickly evident when he found himself surrounded by a film crew early at this weekend’s Ohio Mile tech inspection. The crew continued to follow the team for three record-breaking passes of 177.93mph, 183.52mph, 202.24mph and on to the 200 MPH Club Ceremony.
The DIYAutoTune team now turns their attention to Bonneville’s Speed Week for a chance at a coveted Southern California Timing Association record and the elusive “Red Hat,” signifying the sanctioning body’s 200 MPH Honors. When Hoffmann was asked why the red hat was so important to him, he said “to put it in perspective, more people have been to the summit of Mount Everest.” He’s right, and all the work the team has put into this labor of love is about to pay off.
Hoffmann started the DIYAutoTune 240SX Land Speed Project in 2010. Producing his first record was nearly 5 years in the making, representing the sheer grit and determination involved in a feat such as this. Follow the project from the beginning on our currentBonneville or Bust blog page: http://www.diyautotune.com/cars/project/diyautotune_s13_240sx.htm
About us:DIYAutoTune has built a strong following in the drag racing and road racing industries. Based in Suwanee, GA, DIYAutoTune is the leading manufacturer of MegaSquirt® Engine Management Systems. Made at our facility in the USA, we offer an affordable way to run your race car on a fully programmable fuel injection and ignition controller, with plenty of high end features such as individual cylinder trims, progressive nitrous control, boost control, 3 step rev limiters, VVT control for up to 4 cams, and spare outputs to control just about anything! Our MegaSquirt 3-Pro Stand Alone and MSPNP-Pro Plug-N-Play systems are the most robust and cost-effective in the market today.
Please connect with us:
Website: www.diyautotune.com Like us/ follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diyautotuneFollow us on Twitter: @DIYAutoTune
DIYAutoTune would like to officially thank our sponsors: Prestolite-Quicktime, Powerhouse Racing, Ball Engines, Rev Valves, Cool Shirt, Stance, Fat Cat Fabrication, Zen Motors, Simpson, DJ Safety & Bell Intercoolers. Parts Vendors: Precision Turbo, Mahle Pistons, Manley, DynoTech, King Bearings, G-Force Transmissions, Goodyear, BF-Goodrich & Aeromotive, Dailey Engineering, Rear End Shop, Swift Racing Technology.