NASCAR could put hybrid vehicles on its tracks in 2022

[Polycount]

More and more car companies are starting to shift greater resources toward the development of electric (or at least hybrid) vehicles, and this is a trend NASCAR is not ignorant of. During an interview with TechCrunch, NASCAR senior VP of Racing Development John Probst said hybrid vehicles could begin showing up in the organization's races as soon as 2022.

The end goal, Probst claims, is to move toward fully-electric vehicles. However, for now, that's little more than a far-off dream -- NASCAR still has a ways to go before even hybrid vehicles have a serious place on its racecourses.

Apparently, the organization aims to wait until the "Next-Gen gas race car" guidelines release in 2021 before it begins pushing for hybrid vehicles with more gusto.

At the moment, NASCAR feels hybrid vehicles may not perform their best on all types of race tracks. Instead, the organization is looking at shorter tracks for the vehicles. In that environment, drivers could use the regenerative braking capabilities of a hybrid to gain a strategic edge. More testing and research will be required before NASCAR can come to any firm conclusions, though.

Either way, it's interesting to hear that the motorsports industry is looking to go green down the line. We look forward to reporting on NASCAR's progress in the months (and possibly years) to come.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/82294-nascar-could-put-hybrid-vehicles-tracks-2022.html

 

[hahahanoobs]

Driving in a circle with no combustion engines or gas fumes? Good for safety maybe, but that doesn't sound like a true NASCAR experience at all.

I'm curious to see where this goes.

 

[ShagnWagn]

Same sentiment here. Numbers are dwindling at the tracks. The noise is a large part of the experience. Are they going to attach speakers to the cars playing ICE sounds?

 

[VitalyT]

Next is a car derby with auto-pilots instead of drivers.

 

[Mr Majestyk]

Here's a thought, put them on a real track! This is the most boring racing I've ever had the misfortune to witness. I guess allowing them to drive on real tracks would have made it impossible for NASCAR supporters to understand what the hell is going on.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Meanwhile I don't get the thrill of watching either one. I would however love to be a driver.

 

[arrowflash]

Agree with overall sentiment. NASCAR races can be very thrilling and white-knuckle inducing, if you're a driver. Going perpetually left in a circle is no trivial feat - not when you're over 300 km/h with 40+ other competitors, with traffic on every side less than 1 meter away from touching you, in cars that are far less stable and have less grip than an indy or F1 racer.

However, for viewing it can be quite boring, and the roar of the V8 engines is certainly an essential part of the experience. Switching to electric is going to kill this sport.

 

[Uncle Al]

Driving in a circle with no combustion engines or gas fumes? Good for safety maybe, but that doesn't sound like a true NASCAR experience at all.

I'm curious to see where this goes.

Since the goal is to match drivers skills against each other, this should provide the ultimate challenge where the car doesn't matter nearly as much as the skill of the driver. If it will get rid of that three stage crap, I'm all for it!!! Now as for the sound .... hmmmmm, maybe we'll see spoilers replaced with big speakers and some interesting sound tracks!!!

 

[p51d007]

LMAO! Nascar is doomed. They got rid of all the good drivers, made all the new drivers look like "hollywood" types, then they make all the cars look alike, drive alike that if they were painted the same, no one would know one car from another. Got rid of cigarette advertising due to political correctness, got rid of the "southern flag" because of political correctness. It's more a "gotta be there glamours" event, than a race. The new name for NASCAR should be (N)eed (A)nother (S)tock (C)ar (A)uto (R)ace

 

[Aus spot]

No great loss for me. All the top end racing is so controlled, same same vehicles, can't even tell the base car sometimes.

Stock cars with roll cage and a mixture of cars, great seeing small under powered cars carve up big hp cars in corners and vice versa in the straights.

 

[toooooot]

Dont want.