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

Their records are made to be broken. Humanity has proven that time and time again it sets a record. Put your name in the history books among legends and in the

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ing world, Mount Washington Auto Road is highly regarded. The cameras don't do it justice. It doesn't show how tight it is, how the camber wobbles from edge to edge, give away how deep it gets or the risk involved in rewriting the record book every three years. The mountaineering community has its opportunity. They bring all the horsepower they can muster. Its courage and determination this weekend as Subaru Rally Team USA attempts to renew its existing record is one that will stand the test of time.

The two drivers will drive the lightest and fastest rally cars ever built in Vermont. Sports car they are trying to put their name on. this historic event that for over 100 years has been a truly defining task for the team and the machine this is

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6:45 a.m. m. everything is calm at the base of the mountain Subaru Rally Team USA arrives for the third day in a row at the mountain pretty cool any day is that beautiful on this mountain where you have the opportunity to go faster than anyone else instead of record. I mean, I was worried about being where there's going to be foggy days, where it's going to be a rainy day and you know things change. on the mountain, fast but looks good, we are here at the Super Mount Washington 2017, you will fly from an amazing event where the biggest driving challenges will be faced.

I think it's definitely the biggest challenge I've encountered in the last two days. practice today teams will do full races of up to seven and a half miles 4,600 to 5:00 terrible strategy different always have to do something different as their start times get closer drivers rack up the fastest times in practice both start near the end of session David Higgins is the 2014 record holder and the first of the Subarus today these are anything but the standard rally cars this year, you know, woman, let's assume Karl Rove gave us some beasts to try to tame the hill. Basically, they took out the rally engine, put in the GRC engine, and then stripped the car of everything that weighs it down and isn't for safety.

They have lightened it up with a stiffer tarmac suspension and a great package and the rallycross program engine was installed, giving them double the power and torque figures that these machines tested earlier in the week and the outright speed was impressive to the point of being stressful. Two cones into the first practice my emotion is split pretty evenly between panic and fear, this is the fastest you've ever driven, the craziest man I've ever driven, I really forget everything you've done before and relearn this, this new way of driving these types of cars, my biggest competition is also my His teammate David is a better driver.

He has driven more. He has more experience driving. He can find the cars limits a little quicker. I find it when I crash. The reality is that we have to go out and beat each other. Furthermore, to compete with David to be even in the same ballpark as David Higgins, I have to take big risks. I have to go all the way and these cars are so fast that I'm nervous during testing and practice. The way it is now about replacing a record is out of the question without a co-pilot, this is a unique challenge. The two spent countless hours in the mountains preparing.

Higgins is flying if they pass on the radar reading 116 miles per hour. a new speed record at the base of the mountain the two 800 horsepower Hill Climb cars between Higgins and Pastrana have set off up the hill a three minute window is all the time left between Pastrana and the mountain there are no split times for know what your Your teammate is doing that because this mountain is anything but forgiving more than 100 years ago, before the Indy 500 or Pikes Peak Hill Climb were born, the first

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of Mount Washington Hill took place, it began with steam power and grew from there, today a variety of classes are offered. the mountain, some just for the challenge, others for the class victory and if you aspire to own the record, while flank speed can finish at a higher altitude and Washington has a more complex and challenging task, complete everyone here They know there is a chance to get Higgins back on board. his career has reached a fever pitch and David's focus on every corner is critical if his teammate behind him is going to set the benchmark time for the record today and there are plenty of cables all live very similar let me get there with notes 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 take on your own some of these curves it can be a high speed for both vehicles and it could also be one that's really slow third gear clothes, so that now I'm trying to do everything I told myself not to do for the last 20 years of rallying, you know, forget what the pacemaker was for the local landmarks where things change and where you know the positions market where the marshals are. and I'm going to get some images from the middle.

David clears the tree line more than halfway and is on track to shave almost 30 seconds off the record in one of the practices I had as an overflow from a leaking oil pipe. Vanaras was burning and in the second my mind sighs. I think about what that smell is. I stopped remembering where the road was. We are in a rally situation. You always have the room. The reminder of the road. I really ignore everything around me and just stay focused. stay in one area of ​​the trail, this could be the race that rewrites the history book, but it's not destined for David to come out unscathed, but his record attempt ended at the starting line.

Pastrana was ready to start his race in less than a minute. rubs his engine to bring it up to temperature The pressure is on thirty seconds to go and the race organizers stop his race before the common words came down the mountain that there has been an accident at this point they don't know it's Higgins thrown fire red someone I don't know just told me the requirements 24 well, Travis turns off his car to save fuel, we'll send the four cars down each row everyone, we really have to recharge. I want to get him off the last boat so 'They're going to be clear on some cars they seem to be told that all the cars affected by the red flag will have to restart, that's when the word gets out that it's David that caused the red black and the problem of those distant mobile phones, you yourself do not know.

I don't know about the car, oh you're right, yeah, well, well, negative on this connection and the work you put into it and the fact that the house was going really well and it really got everything really, really good on the flat spot , but the importance is really shit if so. Some curves, didn't they lead to that one? I thought I had one more pasta dish before that, then I came there, it was a little late so I tried to send it off and finish to see what happens, but I like rocks. will aim while the twisted disc on the wheel everything stays there, we like it, game over, these things happen when you try and you know.

I've always said that if you go fast enough to beat the bank you will pass the trivia event and that was evident today. for David, but now it's almost higher, knowing that it's okay, go like hell, the course is clear, the focus returns to Travis for the second time, he prepares to leave, this time there is no interruption he made outside the equation, the pressure is slightly to the left. No stress, he's here to set a record that will stand the test of time through a sub-David speed draft of 110 miles per hour. He has been servicing his tires, which could help him achieve a higher time on the mountain at base camp, the team hopes. for updates on Facebook subway, it's pretty weird that I get nervous about the idea of ​​the loading dock when all these years of doing it and then it shoots up here like they save me from the bills because I wouldn't tell you to put it digitally either . but then you take away the extra power and the less weight than the speed at which they enter now, as if it were not because, as it was split, Pastrana is 1.5 seconds behind David in the incomplete race, but he is still far ahead of the careers page of 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 10-20 seconds faster than last year, from left to right and turn every corner looks almost the same. you have to break up with others that you push, it sounds really interesting because a lot of people think that they are in the wrong Kauai because in reality at that point it is not just memory but memory of where you are and if you get scared you tend to forget how much fat is left there is no openings there are no trees there are no markers they all look exactly the same and they are all different Pastrana's visual memory helps them remember the path as he takes the page when he reached the footprints I can still tell you almost every clue and every line and the changes of each year, pretty spicy traction, so six years ago, that's good, however, this is not the same road we drove on, but these cars are much better, awareness of every corner.

Along with courage and car handling, there is the completion of a masterful race. Get over the tree line. Here you can see more of what is coming, but also the immense drop to one side. The only thing that has become really difficult for the driver this year is everything I have. He had marked a flat and very open Florence. I didn't even think about the fact that now they are breaking, sliding, turning, so I had to relearn this mountain, but I have always been able to advance to wherever the competition level is and I really believe I will make it.

I can do that in this race but I'm going to have to take my chances in the dirt and his pulse is racing he doesn't know it's time to start but he's on tractors he broke the record passing us Higgins left carrying the torch for The team is required to come out. of the land and reach the fastest section of the entire Mountain. Commitment is required. The top is almost entirely open. There are some sexes that are very open, but it has a rock inside on one side, inside the other side, inside this side. and it's straight, if you're perfect with the wavy road, then the car jumps and if you miss the line that much, or you have a higher floor, you go, we're going to do that 120 with a 4000 foot infinite clip, it's one. one of the scariest things you've ever done in your life go up into the

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he's in the final stretch / - in the last corner and over the line a new record has been set five minutes forty-four point seven two seconds up and down of the mountain accomplishment of the feat sets great work with the park it's amazing, I really appreciate the help, man, all together, work, yeah, thank you, fantastic job, Travis, well done, we are all very very happy and congratulations, amazing, keep rocking, good job, mother, please, very good.

I think it's Noble, like a lot of racing nowadays, we have almost everyone in the same car, but you look around, no one has the same fire, no one kept the same wing, someone has the same downforce, the same horsepower. strength, the same turbo, there are cars that do it. He really hits front-wheel drive like a free rat, just a true American, he'll ride inside the victory parade with checkered flag in hand, he gives Pastrana a few minutes to himself, a moment to let his accomplishments sink in. Take it in, there's a big difference and I hate to point out the elephant in the room, but I usually know it's going to cross the finish line and when I know, before I start, that it's not in order, I don't crash just to crash, I don't get answer, oh, thank you, it means a For me, I mean getting the record here in Mount Washington, it's something that's very close to all the contracted sports cars in Vermont and coming up with almost double the horsepower on your own, without a co-pilot memorized and running, you know, it's been months of work.

On that kind of thing, I'm just memorizing, it means a lot that you record that for the last 30 years it's just been shadows, seconds at a time, it's been cut almost by doing it, it's a real test of our mettle that we were able to achieve. from the FBI here is a specially designed Hill Climb with 800 horsepower that outperforms the cars here and we are working with a modified production car for this event and we shine and we believe we have the best car on the mountain no matter what and we would challenge it . anyone to that and first of all with a record, this car was incredible.

I know the guys from a Subaru rally team that you know will stick around will come back with something even better next time. I know Dave will be hungry for this next time. time and I would love to see anyone who wants to come and any manufacturers who want to try to get in. I think this is the beast right here. This super is the best I have ever driven. That route that was given to the hill. Take a little work. I'm not saying it can't be surpassed, but a 10-block Rhys Millen, you guys take out yourbenefits here, let's have fun next time they open this mountain, bring what you have.