Everything was looking good for Randy Pobst and the Unplugged Performance team after day 1 of the 2020 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Driving in the Exhibition Division, Pobst was able to post the top time of 04:12.429 during qualifying on the lower section of the mountain yesterday.
Day 1 Qualifying Leader @RandyPobst takes on the lower section of @PPIHC with @UnpluggedTesla. #Tesla #Model3 #PPIHC2020 https://t.co/qZjpDlBlY8
— The Kilowatts 🚗⚡️ (@klwtts) August 26, 2020
The next closest competitor Joshua Allen, also driving a Performance Model 3, finished his first and only practice run nearly 20 seconds behind before crashing on his second run. He was able to set a time of 04:38.736.
Here’s a look at the XPO #Tesla after the crash. Driver Joshua Allen was driven away by Remo in a model S (better than an ambulance). Let’s hope he’s ok. 🤞 🙏 pic.twitter.com/jjaTBpgidd
— Sofiaan Fraval (@Sofiaan) August 25, 2020
Day 2 was also not meant to be for Pobst, who was making his way up the mountain on the upper section on his first run of the day when disaster struck. According to Unplugged Performance, Pobst hit a dip in the road at high speed, causing his vehicle to go airborne and crash into the side of the mountain.
Miraculously he was uninjured in the crash, which has cut their weekend short and ended their 2020 Pikes Peak challenge.
Randy took to Instagram soon after the crash to apologize to Unplugged Performance and everyone who had worked on the car, saying he went “too fast too soon”, and that it was “amazingly good” yesterday.
The team was hopeful for a top finish after recently breaking the lap record at Laguna Seca set by the prototype Plaid Model S last year.
