Travis Pastrana Sets New Mount Washington Hillclimb Record In Absolutely Mental Run

Travis Pastrana sped to the summit of the  7.6 mile Mount Washington Auto Road in an amazing 5 minutes 44.72 seconds, over 24 seconds faster than the previous record. That’s a lot of time.

The Mt. Washington Hillclimb, known as the Climb to the Clouds, is considered one of the oldest motorsports events in the United States. It was first run in 1904, seven years before the first Indy 500 and twelve years prior to the inaugural Pikes Peak Hillclimb.

The 7.6 mile Auto Road is one of the ultimate challenges for driver and automobile, the serpentine tarmac and gravel road is lined with trees and dramatic drop-offs as it winds its way to the 6,288 foot summit of the Northeast’s tallest peak.
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The tight, bumpy, and often treacherous road may not draw as much attention as the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb, but it’s often considered the more harrowing of the two, with rough, lumpy pavement and a number of deceptive, blind corners that can easily catch a driver out.

This year over 75 cars, some of the best race and rally drivers from around the world, competed for “King of the Hill” honors on the Northeast’s tallest peak-Mt. Washington.

Subaru Rally Team USA was keen to defend its course record. It didn’t just defend it, though. It essentially put it out of reach. Travis Pastrana not only beat David Higgins’ record, set in 2014, but also completed the 7.6-mile course 42.03 seconds faster than any other entrant.
He bested his teammate’s previous record by 24.37 seconds, setting a time of 5:44.72 on his second run. Pastrana also beat Higgins’ 2014 time of 6:09.09 on his first run behind the wheel of his 600-horsepower hillclimb-spec WRX STI rally car. He bettered his time, though, by 1.56 seconds on his next attempt.

Pastrana’s car was on another level of speed. But beyond that his driving was utterly unhinged. When you see him tipping a wheel off the side of the mountain, know that he’s completely bonkers.

Below you can taste the run thanks to the full onboard POV video.