Hot Wheels stunt jump sets world record

SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) - Before the main event Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, an X Games champ drove a Team Hot Wheels truck down a giant ramp and into a world record distance jump.

Tanner Foust, three-time X Games gold medalist, succedssfully landed a ramp-to-ramp distance jump of 332 feet, smashing the previous world record by 31 feet, at the Hot Wheels Fearless at the 500 event, presented by IZOD. The 10-story ramp, modeled on the Hot Wheels V-Drop toy set and "hanging" on a giant "closet door," sent Foust speeding to 104 mph, just enough - with the tail wind blowing Sunday - to send him launching across the gap and into the history books.

Foust said he had never jumped further than 90' before, and Sunday's jump, he said "was pretty awesome."

PHOTOS | Hot Wheels Fearless at the 500 - Watch the jump!

The stunt ramp, made of 500,000 tons of steel and covered with 500 gallons of oarange paint, was designed by a team that has also designed stunts for the X Games. But this attempt challenged them to innovate.

"Any time you're breaking a world record, you're sort of inventing things along the way," Foust said.

Simon Waldron, vice president for marketing for Hot Wheels, said the team planned for the jump for about 14 months, and worked on the build for about nine. Wind tunnel testing helped them design the truck for the long sail through open air

"Fans witnessed not only a record-breaking jump [Sunday], but also an incredible childhood fantasy come to life, which engaged multiple generations," he said.

Foust recalled the idea going from a sketch on a napkin to a scientific diagram - complete with a "speck" that represented the truck he would drive. That, he said, is when "it started to become real."

Hot Wheels also has executed stunts modeled on other toy set concepts, including a cliff drop down a twisty track with steep plunges, and an upside down run that left the driver temporarily unconscious.

The centennial anniversary of the Indianapolis 500 seemed to be a fitting setting for this latest stunt, Saldron said.

"Hot Wheels has a deep and rich history in racing that spans over 40 years, and there was no better global stage than the Indy 500 to create this once-in-a-lifetime experience," he said.

Foust got a taste of Indy Saturday, catching a ride in the two-seat IZOD IndyCar, with Mario Andretti in the driver's seat.

He said he's had some open wheel racing experience, but not on an oval track like the IMS.

"I'd love to try it out," he said.