Travis Pastrana has accomplished a great many things in his illustrious motorsports career. He’s a motocross champion, an X-Games gold medalist, and a four-time Rally America champion. It’s fitting then that for a man who has accomplished a lot in his career, Pastrana added yet another feather to his cap by claiming the Mt. Washington Auto Road Hill Climb record in staggering fashion. With a specially-prepared Subaru WRX STI rally car acting as his stead, Pastrana sped up the 7.6-mile track in 5:44.72.

Pastrana’s record ascent to the summit of Mt. Washington didn’t just break the old record set by David Higgins in 2014. It shattered that 6:09.09 lap time by 24 seconds in one of the most incredible displays of hill climb rallying you’ll ever see. For his part, Higgins also competed in the event and was determined to eclipse his own mark. Unfortunately, his own attempt was derailed after his car went off the road, forcing him to abandon his lap time. It’s easy to feel Higgins’ disappointment in not only failing to finish the climb, but in seeing his record fall. Then again, it still took someone with the skill and experience of Pastrana to lay claim to the lap record of the Mt. Washington Auto Road Hill Climb. It’s hard not to see Higgins return next year to try to reclaim his record. For now, though, it’s Pastrana who deserves the shine, as well he should considering his latest accomplishment.

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Pastrana and Subaru are the big winners here

The Mt. Washington Auto Road Hill Climb may not be as popular as its counterpart in Pikes Peak, but make no mistake, the race still holds a lot of weight in the eyes of facing fans. That’s what usually happens if you’ve been around since 1904.

Pastrana’s record lap time will probably sit for a few years before somebody else beats it. That’s been the life cycle of the event’s lap time record this decade anyway. Remember, Higgins’ set the previous record in 2014, beating his older record that he set in 2011. Now everybody’s going to be gunning for Pastrana’s new record. It’s going to be easier said than done though because the gap between Pastrana’s lap time and Higgins’ old record that was broken is so huge – 24 seconds – that it’ll probably take an evolutionary Subaru to beat out 5:44.72. This should make for an interesting storyline in future Mt. Washington Auto Road Hill Climb events in the coming years.

And while we’re here, let’s not forget that Subaru is also a big winner in the event, notwithstanding the fact that it’s also sponsoring it.

“We’re exceptionally proud of our team’s new record at this iconic race event,” Subaru motorsports marketing manager Rob Weir said. “To defend and beat our old record took a massive commitment from the team and especially our drivers. We put a production-based WRX STI on the top of the podium even against purpose-built hill climb machines.”

The automaker set the bar really for itself, too. Now it’s about making sure that Subaru builds on this success and use these results as barometers for its future exploits on Mt. Washington. Easier said than done, but the company has proven itself to be up-to-the-task on numerous occasions.

References

Read our full review on the Subaru WRX STI Race Car.