Tesla Model 3 crashes hard at Pikes Peak
What a difference a day can make in motorsport.
One day race driver and motoring journalist Randy Pobst was raving about the pace and handling of the Tesla Model 3 he planned to compete in the 2020 Pikes Peak hill climb.
The next he was nursing a badly broken car after one of the most spectacular crashes caught on camera at the famous 20km climb up the snaking Pikes Peak road in Colorado.
These images show the Model 3 coming unstuck on one of the 156 corners of the Pikes Peak Race to the Clouds.
Running on slick tyres and with a stripped out interior to save weight, the Tesla Model 3 was prepared by Californian-based Unplugged Performance, which specialises in Tesla customisation and performance modifications.
In a tweet after the unfortunate panel-bending event Unplugged said the crash was a case of going too hard too early.
“Today Randy took his first practice lap on the upper section way too hot, hit a huge dip, got airborne and here’s the result,” the tweet said, adding that “our quest to break 10 minutes at Pikes Peak is unfortunately over”.
Pobst was travelling at around 180km/h when he went for the brakes for a sweeping uphill right-hander.
He washed off plenty of speed but when still travelling about 100km/h the tail appeared to kick out and as he counter-steered to catch the slide he quickly ran out of road and headed for the hills.
The car was briefly airborne before hitting a stone wall and slamming into the side of the gravel hill.
“I did not expect anything like that to happen,” said Pobst after the crash, admitting it was all his fault and that going hard on what was his first run was “my biggest crime here”.
Earlier in the week during one of the practice sessions Pobst had raved about the race-prepped Model 3, describing it as one of the best handling cars he’s ever driven.
“Very happy,” he said to the video camera filming his brisk blast during practice shortly after coming to a stop.
“Handling balance was beautiful. Unplugged Performance put a good car together.”
He may indeed wish he hadn’t ushered some of the later comments.
“The car’s just stuck, I love it, it’s really setting in the corners. The braking is the most impressive part.”
Not quite as impressive as the way it mounts a dirt bank…
