race is hearing the engine roar, the rumble of each car’s approach and the zip of it whizzing past at more than 150 mph.
The Associated Press got a first look at the $1.5 million prototype. The only person who has driven it so far is semi-retired NASCAR driver David Ragan. He said the sound and smell were unlike anything he has experienced since first hitting the racetrack at age 11. Eric Warren, who heads global motorsports competition for General Motors, said market research showed that more than half of avid NASCAR fans surveyed would be more interested in purchasing an electric vehicle if they were exposed to it through racing. A main message is taking care with energy and optimizing it, he said.
“It’s our goal to entertain our fans,” he said. “If our fans tell us this is what they want to see, we know how to create a racing series around pretty much anything.” By 2028, NASCAR says it will introduce sustainable racing fuel, recycle at all events and use 100% renewable electricity at facilities and tracks it owns. By 2035, it aims to cut operating emissions to “net zero.”