The concept of drag races is pretty simple. Two vehicles are lined up and launched at the same time. The faster one that crosses a designated mark wins the race. It is this simplicity, however, that makes drag races very exciting, as every millisecond counts.
It is then particularly amazing when a driver commits what should have been a grave error, but still wins the race. This was exactly what happened when a Tesla Model Y lined up against an AMG Mercedes GLE SUV in a drag racing event in Las Vegas.
As can be seen in a video of the two vehicles’ quarter-mile bout, which was posted on YouTube’s Wheels Plus channel, the Model Y driver appears to have gone over the line prior to its race with the AMG SUV. As a result, the Model Y driver reversed so that the two vehicles were starting from the same location.
The problem was that the Model Y driver appeared to have left the all-electric crossover in Reverse. As the light turned green, the AMG SUV shot forward while the Model Y reversed back. It took a couple of seconds, but the Model Y driver was eventually able to shift to Drive and start the drag race in the right direction.
Quite amazingly, the Model Y actually caught up to the AMG SUV at the latter parts of the race. And as the results of the race were posted on the track, the audience could see that the all-electric crossover won the race. The Model Y driver started the race in the worst possible way, but thanks to the vehicle’s power, the Tesla still bagged the win.
Of course, a quarter-mile time of 13.65 seconds at 112.36 mph is hardly impressive for a Tesla Model Y. Even the Model Y Long Range that was tested by MotorTrend posted a superior quarter-mile time of 12.4 seconds. However, considering that the Model Y in the video actually started the race going in the wrong direction, the all-electric crossover’s feat is quite impressive nonetheless.
Watch the Model Y’s drag race against the AMG SUV in the video below.
Don’t hesitate to contact us with news tips. Just send a message to simon@teslarati.com to give us a heads up.
