Cars and Drivers

Even When Tesla Wins, It Can Still Lose

Courtesy of Tesla

On Sunday, a Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ: TSLA) Model 3 turned in the second-fastest time in a Global Time Attack Super Lap at Buttonwillow Raceway in southern California, near Bakersfield. While standing on the podium awaiting his award, owner-driver Cameron Rogers was disqualified following a complaint from the second-place finisher.

The complaint, according to Electrek: “Electricity is not listed as an approved fuel.”

The Model 3 Rogers drove was the Performance model updated with the latest “track” mode software. His best time was just a hair over two minutes, good enough for second place in the enthusiasts’ all-wheel drive competition. Another driver pushed the same car to a time just under two minutes, although he was not an official competitor.

The headline feature of the Model 3’s track mode is disabling traction control in the all-wheel drive vehicle and setting the electric motors to enable drift and improve cornering. A less noticed feature was the one that proved most useful, however.

Model 3’s track mode includes a race-oriented cooling system that allows the Model 3 to take many runs on the track at high speed without having to use the low-power mode to cool the powertrain.

As Fred Lambert of Electrek notes, “It’s not that big of a deal and if anything, it’s funnier than anything else.” Lambert also notes that whining about the electric powertrain did nothing but give Cameron Rogers an opportunity to give a shout out to an electric car future.

Tesla plans to upgrade the Model 3 Performance vehicles.

Sponsored: Attention Savvy Investors: Speak to 3 Financial Experts – FREE

Ever wanted an extra set of eyes on an investment you’re considering? Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply
clicking here
you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help guide you through the financial decisions you’re making. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.


Click here
to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.