Project Syclone

1990 Syclone LSR — World Record 204.145 mph

“Banks team of Bonneville veterans’ fine-tuned race strategy tweaked the truck to top performance. It put GMC in a very exclusive club. When you consider they took a stock, compact pickup with a stock engine, using only modifications that are available off-the-shelf today — Banks adapted that truck and made it capable of going over 200 mph, that is quite an achievement…Two attempts. Two records.” —Assault on the Salt (television)

Despite the aerodynamics of a brick, the Banks – GMC Syclone pickup truck topped 210 mph. The Syclone was equipped with a Gale Banks naturally-aspirated, intercooled, fuel-injected 5.0L V6 engine, and became the World’s Fastest Pickup and the first pickup to exceed 200 mph at the time. Banks prepared, operated and maintained the 535 hp S-15, smashing two land speed records, and breaking the previous record by more than 60 mph. Two clones of the S-15 were built for drag racing, fathering the pro stock truck category in NHRA.

“Banks is recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities on turbocharging technology for diesel and gasoline engines. Banks has worked directly with the Big Three automakers in product development and has even been called upon to head up several speed and racing campaigns, including a GMC Syclone that ran more than 200 mph at Bonneville.” —Sport Truck

Project Photo Gallery

syclone_gm_ad

Banks/GMC Syclone Team

The Banks/GMC Syclone

Project Syclone on the salt

Latest News

Vintage Banks Truck Concept

As you can see from the video above, this is a “vintage” VHS recording of a local morning news broadcast about a vintage Banks Truck.

Speed School Podcast Ep 5 | Scott Birdsall

Scott Birdsall, Pike’s Peak Diesel Record Holder | Speed School Podcast Ep 5

The Banks history is laden with trophies and awards for its accomplishments in gasoline performance. One example was the naturally aspirated Syclone. That’s not to say that the original idea wasn’t to turbocharge the engine in the Syclone. On the contrary, Banks originally proposed things that would have made this vehicle a completely different ...

Around 1990 we set the Worlds Fastest Pickup record at Bonneville with a two-way of 204mph and a best mile of 210 with the Syclone.

Duramax engines - GMC Syclone - Senator Huff videos - Big sale

FOUR STORIES IN ONE: What would you do with a Duramax engine; A racing blast from the past points to the future; Watch this video and learn why Gale thinks Senator Huff is cool; Don’t buy a new vehicle for Memorial Day — “Banks” your baby and it’ll be better than new! By John Espino Duramax Engines: ...

Product Review: Gale Banks Engineering’s PowerPack System For The ’94-’97 Ford 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel.

1990 Syclone LSR — World Record 204.145 mph “Banks team of Bonneville veterans’ fine-tuned race strategy tweaked the truck to top performance. It put GMC in a very exclusive club. When you consider they took a stock, compact pickup with a stock engine, using only modifications that are available off-the-shelf today — Banks adapted that truck ...

Despite possessing the aerodynamics of a brick, Banks/GMC Syclone pickup truck tops 210 mph, becoming both World’s Fastest Pickup Truck and the first pickup to exceed 200 mph. Banks 210-mph Project Syclone becomes World’s Fastest Pickup Truck; it is later marketed as the GMC Syclone GMC General Manager, John Rock asked Gale for a suggestion on marketing ...