

Lifestyle
Tesla assists in Pikes Peak Model 3 race car 48-hr rebuild following crash
During the first day of Pikes Peak’s qualifiers, legendary racecar driver Randy Pobst and his Tesla Model 3 Ascension-R from EV tuning house Unplugged Performance dominated their class. The team was heading towards Sunday’s race at the top of their game, and there was little that could topple the modified Model 3’s momentum. Unless something unexpected and catastrophic took place, of course.
Unfortunately for the Unplugged team and Randy, something unexpected and catastrophic really did happen. During the Model 3’s first run on the second day of qualifiers, the modified Tesla hit a bad bump at speeds that the professional racer was unable to recover from. The Model 3 went off-course, hitting a wall and ending up in the dirt. Fortunately, Randy was uninjured during the accident. An in-car video of the crash even showed the veteran racer seemingly trying to get the car to respond, to no avail.
As noted by Unplugged Performance CEO Ben Schaffer, the damage to the Model 3 was extensive. Pretty much everything that could break in the car broke, from its motors to its suspension to its frame. In the immediate aftermath of the crash, it appeared that the team’s dream of raising the Tesla flag at the summit of Pikes Peak on Sunday has been crushed. After all, the Model 3 Ascension-R, described by Randy as one of the best vehicles he has ever driven up the treacherous mountain, was totaled.
But sometimes, it takes more than a totaled racecar to keep the human spirit down. In what could only be described as a decision that was equal parts impressive and insane, the Unplugged team decided to try and repair the Model 3. The officials of the Pikes Peak Hill Climb required that the team use the same vehicle that was involved in the crash, so the idea of using a fresh Model 3 Performance was quickly scrapped. What followed was an astounding effort that involved numerous Tesla community members, employees of the electric car maker, and EuroCar, an authorized Tesla body shop, all working together to do the seemingly impossible — resurrect a totaled racecar in 48 hours.
With but a couple of days before the actual Pikes Peak Hill Climb on Sunday, the Unplugged team and Tesla community members worked around the clock to revive the damaged Model 3 Ascension-R. The team bought another Model 3 Performance that could be stripped for fresh parts, which was promptly delivered by the head of Tesla Service in Colorado. Parts were ordered and shipped as quickly as possible. Three Tesla engineers even came over to ensure that the whole repair process went smoothly. The team worked tirelessly, transferring parts, repairing damaged sections, and tuning the revived Model 3 racer to make the vehicle worthy of taking on Pikes Peak in time for Sunday’s hill climb event.
“We will never quit. Performance is more than lap times, it is a will to persevere over all obstacles. A totaled car won’t be the ending of this story for Randy or for us. I told Randy we will move mountains and we did. Today we assembled an army of support, we bought a new car, and we are working 24hr shifts to use the new car to move parts over to the race car. Whatever it takes we will overcome. See you at the top with Randy waving the Tesla flag,” the Unplugged CEO noted.
It was a tall order considering the degree of damage on the Tesla Model 3 Ascension-R. But as the team worked tirelessly while being sustained partly by food sent over by other Tesla owners, something remarkable happened. Part by part, the damaged Model 3 started looking like a racecar again. With each repaired section, with each new part fitted onto the damaged vehicle, the Model 3 racer showed signs that perhaps, just perhaps, the dream of participating and thriving in one of motorsports’ most dangerous events in a consumer-grade electric sedan was not dead yet.
It was an inhuman push that needed a near-miraculous set of circumstances to succeed, but the Model 3 Ascension-R was reborn for the Pikes Peak Hill Climb by the start of the weekend. With the racer reborn, Randy and the Unplugged team now have another chance at taking on the extremely challenging, extremely dangerous Pikes Peak course. In a video on his YouTube channel, Randy Pobst has noted that life is “magnified” in racing, as it deals with exhilarating victories, heartbreaking losses, and inspiring comebacks. Pikes Peak has witnessed all of this over the years, and the Tesla community could only hope that on Sunday, Randy could finish the hill climb in impressive fashion and wave the Tesla flag at the top of the course.
Elon Musk
X account with 184 followers inadvertently saves US space program amid Musk-Trump row
Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.

An X user with 184 followers has become the unlikely hero of the United States’ space program by effectively de-escalating a row between SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and President Donald Trump on social media.
Needless to say, the X user has far more than 184 followers today after his level-headed feat.
A Near Fall
During Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s fallout last week, the U.S. President stated in a post on Truth Social that a good way for the United States government to save money would be to terminate subsidies and contracts from the CEO’s companies. Musk responded to Trump’s post by stating that SpaceX will start decommissioning its Dragon spacecraft immediately.
Musk’s comment was received with shock among the space community, partly because the U.S. space program is currently reliant on SpaceX to send supplies and astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Without Dragon, the United States will likely have to utilize Russia’s Soyuz for the same services—at a significantly higher price.
X User to the Rescue
It was evident among X users that Musk’s comments about Dragon being decommissioned were posted while emotions were high. It was then no surprise that an X account with 184 followers, @Fab25june, commented on Musk’s post, urging the CEO to rethink his decision. “This is a shame this back and forth. You are both better than this. Cool off and take a step back for a couple days,” the X user wrote in a reply.
Much to the social media platform’s surprise, Musk responded to the user. Even more surprising, the CEO stated that SpaceX would not be decommissioning Dragon after all. “Good advice. Ok, we won’t decommission Dragon,” Musk wrote in a post on X.
Not Planned, But Welcomed
The X user’s comment and Musk’s response were received extremely well by social media users, many of whom noted that @Fab25june’s X comment effectively saved the U.S. space program. In a follow-up comment, the X user, who has over 9,100 followers as of writing, stated that he did not really plan on being a mediator between Musk and Trump.
“Elon Musk replied to me. Somehow, I became the accidental peace broker between two billionaires. I didn’t plan this. I was just being me. Two great minds can do wonders. Sometimes, all it takes is a breather. Grateful for every like, DM, and new follow. Life’s weird. The internet’s weirder. Let’s ride. (Manifesting peace… and maybe a Model Y.)” the X user wrote.
Lifestyle
Tesla Cybertruck takes a bump from epic failing Dodge Charger
The Cybertruck seemed unharmed by the charging Charger.

There comes a time in a driver’s life when one is faced with one’s limitations. For the driver of a Dodge Charger, this time came when he lost control and crashed into a Tesla Cybertruck–an absolute epic fail.
A video of the rather unfortunate incident was shared on the r/TeslaLounge subreddit.
Charging Charger Fails
As could be seen in the video, which was posted on the subreddit by Model Y owner u/Hammer_of_something, a group of teens in a Dodge Charger decided to do some burnouts at a Tesla Supercharger. Unfortunately, the driver of the Charger failed in his burnout or donut attempt, resulting in the mopar sedan going over a curb and bumping a charging Cybertruck.
Ironically, the Dodge Charger seemed to have been parked at a Supercharger stall before its driver decided to perform the failed stunt. This suggests that the vehicle was likely ICE-ing a charging stall before it had its epic fail moment. Amusingly enough, the subreddit member noted that the Cybertruck did not seem like it took any damage at all despite its bump. The Charger, however, seemed like it ran into some trouble after crashing into the truck.
Alleged Aftermath
As per the the r/TeslaLounge subreddit member, the Cybertruck owner came rushing out to his vehicle after the Dodge Charger crashed into it. The Model Y owner then sent over the full video of the incident, which clearly showed the Charger attempting a burnout, failing, and bumping into the Cybertruck. The Cybertruck owner likely appreciated the video, in part because it showed the driver of the Dodge Charger absolutely freaking out after the incident.
The Cybertruck is not an impregnable vehicle, but it can take bumps pretty well thanks to its thick stainless steel body. Based on this video, it appears that the Cybertruck can even take bumps from a charging Charger, all while chilling and charging at a Supercharger. As for the teens in the Dodge, they likely had to provide a long explanation to authorities after the incident, since the cops were called to the location.
Lifestyle
Anti-Elon Musk group crushes Tesla Model 3 with Sherman tank–with unexpected results
Ironically enough, the group’s video ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.

Anti-Elon Musk protesters and critics tend to show their disdain for the CEO in various ways, but a recent video from political action group Led By Donkeys definitely takes the cake when it comes to creativity.
Ironially enough, the group’s video also ended up highlighting something very positive for Tesla.
Tank vs. Tesla
In its video, Led By Donkeys featured Ken Turner, a 98-year-old veteran who served in the British army during World War II. The veteran stated that Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, is “using his immense power to support the far-right in Europe, and his money comes from Tesla cars.”
He also noted that he had a message for the Tesla CEO: “We’ve crushed fascism before and we’ll crush it again.” To emphasize his point, the veteran proceeded to drive a Sherman tank over a blue Tesla Model 3 sedan, which, of course, had a plate that read “Fascism.”
The heavy tank crushed the Model 3’s glass roof and windows, much to the delight of Led By Donkeys’ commenters on its official YouTube channel. But at the end of it all, the aftermath of the anti-Elon Musk demonstration ended up showcasing something positive for the electric vehicle maker.
Tesla Model 3 Tanks the Tank?
As could be seen from the wreckage of the Tesla Model 3 after its Sherman encounter, only the glass roof and windows of the all-electric sedan were crushed. Looking at the wreckage of the Model 3, it seemed like its doors could still be opened, and everything on its lower section looked intact.
Considering that a standard M4 Sherman weighs about 66,800 to 84,000 pounds, the Model 3 actually weathered the tank’s assault really well. Granted, the vehicle’s suspension height before the political action group’s demonstration suggests that the Model 3’s high voltage battery had been removed beforehand. But even if it hadn’t been taken off, it seemed like the vehicle’s battery would have survived the heavy ordeal without much incident.
This was highlighted in comments from users on social media platform X, many of whom noted that a person in the Model 3 could very well have survived the ordeal with the Sherman. And that, ultimately, just speaks to the safety of Tesla’s vehicles. There is a reason why Teslas consistently rank among the safest cars on the road, after all.
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