The 100th annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb takes place this Sunday, June 26th. The second oldest race in America is an all-out sprint up the side of a mountain just west of Colorado Springs, CO. The course is 12.4 miles one-way up to the mountain’s 14,110-foot summit.
The inherent danger of the course leaves room for only the most focused and fearless of drivers. Practice days leading up to the race are essential. They are also a good chance for the media and spectators to catch a glimpse of their favorite drivers and cars. TFL caught up with Blake Fuller and his Tesla Model S P90D to find out all about the car and watch his practice runs for Pikes Peak.
According to Fuller, they are on pace to set a new record in the class. He also told us that to make the dual motor P90D faster than a stock version, the team removed air bags and other interior bits to achieve a weight savings of over 800 pounds. The car’s battery does not need any upgrades to be able to finish the race, though. Fuller says they can actually do all of their daily practices on a single charge, important since there are no charging stations on the mountain.
Watch the video above to go in-depth with the car and see it running up the hill.
