There is something special about seeing a familiar Tesla race car back where it belongs.
For more than a year, Dark Helmet had been in storage, sleeping, hibernating, waiting for another opportunity to prove itself. Our 2021 Tesla Model S-APEX Plaid had already given us years of development, memorable runs, and reasons to celebrate. It had earned its place as the top dog in motorsport history. But when the opportunity came to enter the inaugural Petersen Time Attack at Willow Springs Reimagined, we thought… hell why not awake Dark Helmet up and take it out for a run.
By Saturday, October 17, we were lining up alongside some of the most recognizable supercars in the world.
The challenge stretched from Turn 1 through Turn 5 on Big Willow. By the end of the competition, we were celebrating first place in Unlimited Class with a 52.125-second run.
Here’s how the weekend unfolded from our side of the paddock.
Back among some serious company
Even when you spend your days around modified cars, certain lineups make you pause.
Alongside the Senna, T.50, and Valhalla, the Unlimited Class entry list included a Porsche 918 Spyder, McLaren 675LT, McLaren 765LT, McLaren Artura, and Lamborghini Huracán STO. Walking past that group was a reminder that we were sharing the event with some exceptional machinery.
Then there was Dark Helmet, our 2021 Tesla Model S-APEX Plaid. Wide carbon fiber bodywork, enormous aero, racing slicks, and the unmistakable shape of a four-door sedan.
Sharing the track with that group was part of the appeal. These are cars enthusiasts stop to photograph wherever they go. Seeing them together at Willow Springs, with our Model S among them, made the weekend feel special before the competition even started.
Five practice runs to get reacquainted
Friday’s practice gave Craig Coker the chance to reconnect with the car and work through the course. The competition covered Turn 1 through Turn 5 on Big Willow, making this a short, concentrated attack where every corner mattered.
Although we know Willow Springs well, this format brought a different challenge. Instead of completing full laps of Big Willow, we were competing over a defined section. Each run concentrated the work into five corners, with less distance to recover from a mistake.
Craig kept getting quicker as practice progressed. For the team, that was encouraging: the car was responding, his confidence was there, and each run offered another opportunity to improve.
The short course also suited Dark Helmet. Across those practice runs, we weren’t encountering the thermal limitations that can become a factor during longer sessions. Craig could keep attacking the course and building on what he had learned.
The McLaren Senna was quick, too. It was one of the cars we were watching closely in practice, and it carried that pace into competition day. We had every reason to stay focused.
Confidence built into the car
Craig’s description of the weekend starts with something fundamental: trust.
“As a driver, you need to have confidence in the vehicle to consistently push to the limits,” he explained.
That confidence comes from knowing how the car will respond when he asks more of it. Dark Helmet has been a development platform for our team, bringing together suspension, braking, wheels, and aerodynamics through years of testing and competition.
The foundation remains Tesla’s factory battery, tri-motor powertrain, and cooling system, operating with factory Track Mode. As Craig explained during an interview with the Canyon Carver at the event, our work has focused on the systems around that powertrain.
There is already tremendous performance in a Model S Plaid. The challenge is making that performance usable through braking zones, direction changes, and corners, with the consistency a driver needs to push.
A closer look at Dark Helmet’s hardware
Walk around Dark Helmet and the aero gets your attention first. The S-APEX carbon fiber widebody, substantial front splitter, rear wing, and bespoke lower diffusers make its purpose clear.
Underneath, there is just as much going on.
Our UP-03 forged race wheels carried racing slicks, with a 330-millimeter tire setup at all four corners. The suspension includes UP x Öhlins TTX four-way adjustable coilovers, billet adjustable front upper control arms, upgraded rear suspension arms, and our adjustable rear sway bar.
UP carbon ceramic brakes handle the stopping duties, including our Superlight Carbon Ceramic Front Big Brake Kit, supported by competition pads and upgraded brake lines. These systems have been central to Dark Helmet’s development through its racing history.
The battery, tri-motor powertrain, and cooling system remain stock, with Tesla’s factory Track Mode. Our work has focused on building around that foundation to help Craig use the car’s performance through the corners and braking zones.
Familiar ground, a different challenge
We have plenty of history at Willow Springs. In 2024, Craig recorded a 1:19.63 full lap at Big Willow, which we achieved at GridLife 2024. Dark Helmet later ran 1:11.14 at Streets of Willow, the separate circuit within the same facility, adding another benchmark to its history.
This weekend presented a different challenge. The shorter course compressed the competition into five turns, and the McLaren Senna was quick in practice and on competition day. We knew there was serious pace in the field.
Then came the result: 52.125 seconds. P1 in Unlimited Class.
Seeing Craig with the trophies beside Dark Helmet gave the whole team a moment to appreciate what this car could still do.
Some of the best moments happened around the parked car.
People stopped to ask about the build, look at the aero, and find out what remained stock.
Away from the timed runs, people wanted to get closer to the car. We had questions about the build and plenty of requests for ride-alongs, although Dark Helmet’s single-seat setup wasn’t accommodating passengers.
One interview captured the spirit of those conversations especially well. A self-described Tesla skeptic stopped to talk with Craig and came away expressing real appreciation for the machine in front of him.
That exchange meant something. Standing beside a race car, talking about its engineering, and watching it compete gives people a different way to connect with it.
“It was a proud moment and loved sharing that with the UP team,” Craig said afterward.
A win to share
Thank you to Tesla, the Petersen Automotive Museum, Willow Springs International Raceway, and everyone who helped make the weekend possible. To everyone who stopped by or followed along from home, thank you for being part of it.
We came to Willow Springs to compete, spend time around incredible cars, and show what Dark Helmet could still do. We left with an Unlimited Class win and another memory shared by the team behind it.
Five corners. 52.125 seconds. P1 in Unlimited.
Until Next Time,
The UP Race Team
