Launch Control: Climb to the Clouds at Mt. Washington – Episode 5.07

you records are made to be broken humanity has proven that time and again setting a record put your name in the history books amongst legends and in the hillclimb world the Mount Washington Auto Road is held in high regard cameras don't do it justice they don't show just how narrow it is how the camber teeters from edge to edge they betray how deep it gets or their risk required to rewrite the record book every three years the hillclimb community gets their chance they bring all the horsepower they can muster they gather their courage and their resolve this weekend Subaru Rally Team USA attempt to renew their existing record it's one that will stand the test of time the two drivers will run the lightest and fastest rally cars ever built at Vermont sports car they try and stamp their name on this historic event which for over 100 years has been a true defining task for team and machine this is launch control 6:45 a.m. all is calm at the base of the mountain Subaru Rally Team USA arrives for the third consecutive day on the mountain pretty cool any day it is this beautiful on this mountain where you got a chance to go faster than anyone has ever gone instead of record I mean I was worried I was where it is gonna be foggy days where he's gonna be rainy day and you know things change on the mountain quick but it's looking good [Music] we're here at the 2017 super Mount Washington he'll fly since an awesome event when the most ultimate driving challenges I think there is certainly the biggest challenge I've ever come across the last two days will practice today the teams will get to full runs up to seven and a half mile 4,600 to 5:00 different dire strategy always got to do something different as their start times draw near the drivers mount up with the fastest times in practice they'll both start near the end of the session David Higgins is the 2014 record holder and first of the Subarus today these are anything but the standard rally cars this year you know woman suppose Karl Rove given us some some beasts to go and try and tame the hill with basically they've taken the rally motor out put the GRC motor in and then strip the car of anything that weighs anything that isn't for safety they've been lightened with a stiffer tarmac suspension and great package at it and the engine from the rallycross program has been installed giving them double the power and torque figures tested these machines earlier in the week and the outright speed was impressive to the point of being nerve-racking two cones of the first practice run my excitement turns into pretty even split between panic and fear this is the fastest you've ever driven up the craziest man I've ever driven that I really forget everything you've done from before and relearn these this new way of driving these type of cars my biggest competition is also my teammate David is a better driver he has driven more he has more experience driving he can find the limits of cars a little bit quicker I find it by crashing I'm the reality is that we've got to go out and beat beat each other as well to compete with David to be even on his same in the same ballpark as David Higgins I have to take huge risks I have to do it all the way up and these cars are so fast I'm nervous the testing and practice out of the way it's now down to the business of replacing a record [Music] is off the line without a co-driver this is a unique challenge they both spent countless hours on the mountain in preparation [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Higgins is flying if they pass at the radar clocking 116 miles per hour a new speed trap record back at the bottom of the mountain the two 800 horsepower Hill Climb cars between Higgins and Pastrana have departed up the hill a three-minute window is all the time left between Pastrana and the mountain [Music] no split times to know what his teammate is doing [Applause] that's because this mountain is anything but forgiving over 100 years ago before the Indy 500 or Pikes Peak Hill Climb were born the first Mount Washington Hill Climb took place it started with steam power and grew from there [Music] today a variety of classes are on the mountain some just for the challenge others for class victory [Music] and if you aspire to owning the record while flank speed may finish at a higher altitude [Music] and Washington has a more complex and challenging task complete everyone who's here knows there's a possibility [Music] [Music] back on board with Higgins his run has reached fever pitch and David's focus on each corner is critical if teammate behind him he'll set the benchmark time for the record today and there's a lot of cords all live very very similar let me get there with pacenotes before the co-drivers and we know exactly where we're going to go exactly we're going to turn now you're going to on your own some of these corners it might be a high speed for both vehicle and could also be one that's like a really slow third gear garment so now I'm trying to do everything now to told myself not to do over the last 20 years of rallying you know forget what the pacemaker was for local landmarks where things change and where you know market posts where the marshals are and going get some visuals from mid [Applause] [Applause] David clears the treeline more than halfway up and on track to shave nearly 30 seconds off the record in one the practices I had like an overflow of an oil pipe that was leaking Vanaras burning and the second my mind sighs I think about what's that smell I stopped remembering where the road was we're in a rally situation you've always got the room the reminder of the road there I've got a really ignore everything else around me and just stay in the focus stay in a zone of the of the road this could be the run that rewrites the history book but it's not meant to be [Music] David's unhurt but his record attempt is over back at the start line Pastrana set to start his run in less than a minute [Music] he rubs his engine to bring it up to temperature pressure is on thirty Seconds to go and the race organizers stop his run before stock words made it down the mountain that there's been a crash at this point they don't know it's Higgins lying down red fire somebody I don't know just told me requirements 24 well Travis turns off his car conserve fuel we're sending the four cars down for every row to everybody we really gotta reload I want to push him right back out of the last pot so we're gonna be free in some cars that seems told that all cars affected by the red flag will have to restart that's when the word comes down that it's David that has caused the red black and the problem those far-off mobile yourselves I don't know about the car oh you're right yeah well good negative into this connect and work you put into it and the fact that the home was going so well and really got everything really really good at flatpoint but importance are really sucked if it with a few corners didn't this lead up to that one I thought it had one more pasta course before there then I came over there it was a bit too late so it was tried to send in and finis see what happens but I like the rocks will point while the braid disc in the wheel everything stays there we like was it game over these things happen when you try and you know I've always said if you go fast enough to win the bench will pass the questions event and that's evident today for David but it's almost higher now knowing knowing that all right go like hell the course cleared focus turns back to Travis for the second time he gears himself up to depart this time there is no interruption he made out of the equation the pressure is slightly left in stress-free he's here to set a record that will stand the test of time through the speed draft lower than David at 110 miles per hour he's been serving his tires which could help his time higher on the mountain down at base camp the team waits for updates in the metro Facebook it's pretty rare that I get like nervous on the cargo deck idea when all these years of doing it and then like it's going off here like they save me from the accounts because neither would I really tell it to digitally place but then you out the extra power and less weight than the speed that they go in now like it's not because like as it split Pastrana is 1.5 seconds off david incomplete run but still well ahead of the race page from 2014 without a doubt I know I can break the old record with these cars if I can't it's not because the car isn't capable we should be literally between 10 maybe 20 seconds faster than last year [Applause] left's and rights into rights and laps every corner looks almost the same some you have to break others you push through it sounds really interesting because a lot of people go off just thinking they're in the wrong Kauai because really at that point it's just not only memory but memory of where you are and if you get scared you tend to forget what quantity is fat left there's not openings there's not trees there's not markers they all look exactly the same and all of them are different Pastrana's visual memory helps them recall the road as he picks up the page when it came down to tracks I can still tell you almost every track and every line and the changes of every year pretty racy traction so is six years old that's good however this is not the same road that we drove up it is but these cars are so much better the awareness of each corner coupled with courage and car handling is the making of a masterful run he clears the treeline here you can see more of what's coming but also the immense drop to one side the one thing that's got really difficult for the driver now this year is everything that I had marked flat and wide open Florence I didn't even think about are now breaking sliding turning so I got to relearn this mountain but I've always been able to step up to wherever the competition level is and I really believe that I will be able to do that on this race but I'm going to have to take risk onto the dirt and it's pulse quickens he doesn't know it's lit time but he's on tractors shattered the record [Music] passing we're Higgins went off carrying the torch for the team off the dirt and onto the fastest section of the entire Mountain commitment is required the top part is almost all wide open there's some sexes that are wide open but it's got a rock on the inside of one side inside the other side inside this side and it's straight if you're perfect with the road undulate then the car hops around and if you miss the line by this much you either got a flatter you're going off we're doing that 120 with a infinity 4000 foot clip it's one of the scariest things you'll ever do in your life [Music] climbing to the clouds he's on the homestretch [Music] / - the last corner and over the line a new record has been set five minutes forty four point seven two seconds up and down the mountain realization of the feat sets in great job with the park is wicked amazing really appreciate the help us out man all together job yes thank you fantastic job Travis them well done we're all really really happy and congratulations awesome keep Rocking [Music] good job mother please right pretty good [Applause] I think it's Noble like so much racing today we've got almost everyone at the same car but you look around no one's got the same fire no one kept the same wing someone's got the same downforce the same horsepower the same turbo there's cars that do really touch the front wheel drive like free rat just true American he'll climb inside the victory parade down with the checkered flag in hand gives Pastrana a few minutes to himself a moment to let his accomplishments sink in there is one big difference and I hate to point out the elephant in the room but usually usually I know he's going to come across the finish line and when I know before I started he's not in order I don't crash just to crash I got no answer oh thank you it's meant a lot to me I mean to get the record here Mount Washington it is something that is real close to everyone's hired at Vermont sportscar and to go up with almost double the horsepower by yourself no co-driver memorized and run you know it's been months of work on that kind of stuff I'm just memorization it means a lot that you record that for the past 30 years has only been shades seconds at a time has been cut by nearly doing it's a really test of our mettle we were able to pull off of the FBI here there's purpose-built Hill Climb 800 horsepower beats the cars here and we're working with a production car modified for this event and we shine and we think we have the best car on the mountain no matter what and we would challenge anybody to that and in first place with a record-setting this car was amazing I know that the guys at a Subaru Rally Team you know stay is going to come back with something even better next time I know Dave's going to be hungry for this next time and I would love to see anybody that wants to come over and any manufacturer want to try to get in I think this is the beast right here this uber is the best I've ever driven that route the hill was given take some work I'm not saying it can't be beat but a 10-block Rhys Millen you guys get your buffs out here let's have some fun next time they open this mountain bring what you got [Music] you you [Music]

Channel: Subaru

Views: 2,478,349

Rating: 4.9024463 out of 5

Keywords: Launch Control, Subaru of America, Subaru Rally Team USA, SubaruRally, David Higgins, Craig Drew, Patrik Sandell, Chris Atkinson, Atko, Subaru, WRX, STI, rally, rallying, race, racing, racer, snow, gravel, dirt, drift, drifting, Travis Pastrana, Rally America, American Rally Association, Global Rallycross, Red Bull, GRC, usrally, rallycross, rx, web, Mount Washington Auto Road, Climb to the Clouds, New Hampshire, Record Attempt

Id: -TrYseef8NE

Length: 22min 53sec (1373 seconds)

Published: Wed Aug 23 2017

Reddit Comments

[u/Generic_Us3r]

He must have a photographic memory. He talks about all the corners he can remember since he was 6. That's freaking incredible.

[u/Hifi_Hokie]

I've run this once, and that's incredible.

[u/alvarodpd]

This was such a good episode of Launch Control! Such amazing driving from both of them!

[u/TicklerVikingPilot]

anyone else notice the guy on the far right at 19:31 go for an awkward hi-five an no one was looking

[u/Liquid_Mercury]

Fuck me, that was impressive. That has to be terrifying going flat out with a cliff to go off of if you mess up. But on a side note, I really need a rally car.

[u/MikeyDeez]

The STi is due for a re-design and it is still a competitive car.

[u/TheSRTgreg]

This man is doing everything he can to fight death from old age!

EDIT: AND he's so damn good he has time to wave to the marshals!!

[u/rimjobz]

This dude is exceptionally good at everything extreme, it's incredible.

[u/mghobbs22]

That was a great video- loved the call out of Ken Block at the end