The race to the finish line is approaching on who can serve up JavaScript the fastest. Google Chrome users tout that Chrome is a speed demon when it comes to serving up websites loaded with JavaScript. The new Safari 4 beta was released yesterday and it has a couple of things to brag about.

According to JavaScript rendering tests run by Computerworld, the public beta of Safari 4 is in a virtual dead heat with the most recent edition of Google’s Chrome. However, it is 38% faster than the newest version of Firefox — more than three times faster than the production edition of the open-source browser — and more than five times faster than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8.

Added features for JavaScript:

Nitro JavaScript Engine – Safari 4 introduces the Nitro JavaScript engine, an advanced bytecode JavaScript engine that makes web browsing even faster. In fact, Safari 4 executes JavaScript up to 6 times faster than Internet Explorer 8 and up to 4 times faster than Firefox 3.1.

JavaScript Support – Safari supports ECMA 262 version 3, the latest edition of the JavaScript standard. JavaScript powers many dynamic features on the web and has served as a key component in the rise of highly interactive AJAX applications.

Apple Mac users can download the latest Safari 4 beta at http://www.apple.com/safari/.