Martell Blazes To A New, If Unofficial, Fastest Time at Kentucky HillClimb
PINEVILLE, Ky. — Conner Martell set the unofficial fastest time ever at the fifth annual Pine Mountain HillClimb, piloting an FC1-X EV Rallycross car. The event, held April 25-27, featured a 2-mile, all-tarmac course winding through Kentucky’s Pine Mountain State Park that made for exciting spectating and even more thrilling driving.
After a rainy parade and Parc Exposé on Friday night, Saturday saw Martell getting comfortable with the damp roads and making adjustments to the steering geometry of the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) liveried, 1,000hp all-wheel-drive FC1-X for maximum performance on the course.
Sunday saw some spirited duels with driver Justin Reed and his open-wheel DF Kit Car Goblin, and then Martell set the fastest time of the weekend – 1:35.266 – on his penultimate pass. On his last run, he put his own stamp on the course by dropping the hammer and wowing the marshalls and spectators by drifting up the hill and sending tire smoke through the trees.
Competing as an exhibition entry, Martell’s fastest time on the hill is unofficial. Reed took P1 in the Special Open class with an official record time of 1:36.087.
“It felt great to really attack this road,” said Martell. “It was a fun weekend and really awesome to see everybody with their cool cars going up the hill. It was nice to push the limits of this car and see what it can do outside of rallycross.”
“The car handled like a champ, the event was well organized and the spectators were great. I’ve really been enjoying racing in the Appalachians and getting to know the area and the people down here.”
Watch one of Martell’s on-board runs HERE.
This event came on the heels of a hotly contested P2 finish at the Olympus rally in Washington in mid-April. Martell has podiumed in every race of the 2025 ARA National Championship series this year.
The 2025 Pine Mountain HillClimb Presented by Summit Racing, Backroads of Appalachia and Grassroots Motorsports is part of the Appalachian HillClimb series, hosted by the East Tennessee Region of the SCCA.
