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Coming back strong after last year’s crash, Randy Pobst has set the quickest time recorded in the Exhibition Class this year in his Tesla Model S Plaid
by Sidd Dhimaan, on LISTEN 03:29This year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb had spectators, but the weather played the spoilsport. That, however, didn’t dampen Randy Pobst’s spirits, who can be seen hooting while expertly carving the corners in his climb. In what was Randy’s eighth Pikes Peak appearance, he went on to win the event and also recorded the best time in the Exhibition Class. His steed for the year was a customized Tesla Model S Plaid sans the Yoke steering.
Thanks to the onboard video, we get to witness the climb from Randy’s point of view!
What’s Special About The Pikes Peak Tesla Model S Plaid?
The Model S Plaid by Unplugged Performance used for the race comes with a lot of aero enhancements and receives under the skin treatments, but no changes have been made to the powertrain. It continues to be powered by three motors that together churn out 1,020 horses.
The car rides on Yokohama rubber wrapped around Unplugged Performance wheels. It features Bilstein shocks, as well as a stiffened rear sway bar. Up front, there’s a chin splitter with dive planes on the corners. The huge tailgate-mounted rear wing is as high as the roof itself. The roof even comes with decals mimicking the Plaid.
On the inside, the already minimalist cabin is stripped down to its bare minimum. The Yoke steering was also swapped in favor of a carbon steering wheel. Apart from this, there’s a roll cage, race seats, and a six-point harness.
| Powertrain | Electric |
|---|---|
| Power | 1,020 HP |
| 0 to 60 mph | 1.99 seconds |
| Top Speed | 200 mph |
| Quarter mile | 9.23 seconds |
| Top Speed | 155 mph |
How Was The Drive To The Summit?
Burying the ghosts of his crash last year in the Model 3, Randy started this year in his usual enthusiastic self. It was snowing the night before the race and continued till the morning which caused a delay and forced the organizers to cut the course short. TheDrive reported that the course was now about three-quarters the usual length. Instead of carving the 156 corners of the hill, Randy now had to devour about 100 turns, which ended at around the 16-mile marker. As you can see in the video, Pobst effortlessly reached the ‘cut short’ pinnacle, even though, the weather made some unguarded turns look scary.
What Time Did The Model S Plaid Record?
Randy Pobst recorded a time of 6:57.220, which is the quickest time recorded in Exhibition Class and 10th overall.
The second place in the Exhibition Class was secured by a 2019 Acura NSX piloted by Nick Robinson, It recorded a time of 7:14.704, whereas a 2021 Acura TLX Type S driven by Jordan Guitar came third with a time of 7:53.615. Two Tesla Model 3s also took part in the climb. Joshua Allan’s car reached the finish line in 8:16.778, while Dai Yoshihara took 11:41.162 minutes while encountering hurdles on the way.
Conclusion
Sit back, relax, and watch the video below. And, let us know in the comments section if you enjoyed watching the climb as much as Randy did driving up to the peak… well, almost the peak. Congratulations, Mr. Pobst. We couldn’t be any happier and hope to see you in action again next year!
