Travis Pastrana shattered the Mt. Washington Hillclimb record at Sunday’s 2021 running of the event, posting a stunning time of 5:28.67.
Pastrana’s weapon of choice for the Mt. Washington record attempt was the Airslayer STI, his 862-horsepower carbon-bodied WRX STI featured in Gymkhana 2020.
The Mt. Washington Hillclimb, held once every three years, is the oldest hillclimb event in North America.
A dirt section near the middle of the course adds extra danger and complexity, as competitors must navigate both grippy tarmac and slippery gravel during their runs.
The famously variable Mt. Washington weather played a role in the weekend, with rains on Saturday’s qualifying session complicating the already difficult event.
The narrow, twisty and treacherous Auto Road stretches over 7.6 miles and ascends at average of a 12% grade.
The Airslayer STI’s advanced aero provided a major benefit in the bumpier sections of the road, helping maintain traction and put the power to the ground.
With steep drops edging right to the shoulder of the road, the upper half of the mountain requires massive commitment to maintain pace.
Fans turned out to line the spectator points up and down the mountain during the Friday-Saturday practice sessions and the timed runs on Sunday.
Sunday’s weather provided perfect conditions for Pastrana’s record run.
Crossing the line in 5:28.67, Pastrana’s morning run was the first to break the 5:30 barrier in the history of the event.
Pastrana celebrates his overall victory and new record with the fans at Sunday afternoon’s podium ceremony.
Vermont SportsCar’s crew provided a flawlessly running vehicle for the Mt. Washington event, the first U.S. round of the Airslayer Global Takeover.
Subaru has now taken the overall victory and set progressively faster overall records at four consecutive Mt. Washington Hillclimb events dating back to 2011.
