Les Shockley had a simple idea. Jet engines are aircraft parts. Aircraft parts go fast. Just strap some to a chassis and hold on.
Shockley had a bigger idea.
In 1984 he took a Peterbilt 359 semi truck and mounted three Westinghouse J34 jet engines — the same engines that powered the U.S. Navy's T-2 Buckeye trainer aircraft — onto the chassis. The result produced 36,000 horsepower and 21,000 pounds of thrust. In 1988 he debuted it at airshows and it became an instant sensation. People had never seen anything like it: a full-sized semi truck doing 376 mph down an airshow runway, setting the world record for jet-powered semi trucks that still stands today.
Shockley performed with the truck for over two decades before retiring to the Philippines around 2012 and selling Shockwave to Neal Darnell of Darnell Racing Enterprises in Springfield, Missouri. Neal's son Chris Darnell took over as primary driver and the family continued campaigning the truck at airshows across the country.
On July 2, 2022, at the Battle Creek Field of Flight airshow in Michigan, Chris Darnell was racing Shockwave against two aerobatic aircraft at around 300 mph when a rear tire blew out and ruptured the fuel tank. The truck caught fire and rolled. Chris was 40 years old. He had deployed his parachute early — he knew something was wrong.
Les Shockley never saw it happen. He had passed away in the Philippines in 2019.
The original Shockwave was destroyed in the crash.
In 2020, Neal Darnell had offered a spot on the runway for Shockwave's next West Coast run — standing on the tarmac as 36,000 horsepower went past at 300 mph. The offer was declined to avoid missing other performers that day. Two years later Chris was gone and the truck with him. Some opportunities only come once.