NASCAR might be attempting a huge experiment with the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in the coming years, but as it seems, even the current drivers do not want the sport to deviate towards the global EV movement. In fact, the personal experience of one of the series’ long-time drivers paints an even worse picture of the product, a future where it ceases to exist.
“I think it would be boring and I think it would be I think it’d take the series down,” Sheldon Creed, driver of the #00 Chevy, said.
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John Probst recently indicated that the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series could move to an EV hybrid in the coming years.
“If you look at the brand identity of those three, the O’Reilly Series struggles a little bit just from the car perspective, and you see it a lot because we refer to it often as whoever the entitlement sponsor is,” Probst said, who is also NASCAR’s chief racing development officer.
He added that bringing EVs into the second-tier division is part of a long-term vision for the sport’s evolution into the 2030s. It may also include experimenting with a hydrogen combustion engine in the next five years.
However, it did not receive a positive reception from the fans. But when a similar statement came from someone like Creed, who has been running in the sport for a long time now, it was more serious, especially considering his prior experience with EVs.
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“The electric, I thought, was super boring. I didn’t even know they went off the line until they got to turn one, and then when it comes by, it sounds like an RC car. You can see like the rocks kicking up,” he said, sharing his story from when he attended a race equipped with EVs instead of the ICE-powered cars.
For years now, the screaming sound of the V8s has been part of NASCAR’s identity. The sport has built on that, and undoubtedly, the fans love it. It is quite understandable why the sport’s executives would want to keep the future of racing in mind, with more and more series moving to electric hybrids. But it is also important to keep the product just as exciting for the fans.
When NASCAR introduced the EV prototype
NASCAR has been soft-launching the idea of all-electric racing for a while now. Back in July 2024, as the Cup Series prepared to race at the Chicago Street Race, the authorities landed a partnership with ABB and revealed to the motorsport world the first NASCAR EV prototype.
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This was rather interesting, considering it hadn’t been a long time since the ‘Next Gen’ cars were brought into use in 2022. Throughout the year, the prototype was showcased at various events, even pulling off some impressive burnouts.
Its powertrain is capable of producing 1,000 kW and features 6-phase motors, one in front and two in the rear. Although it lacks an overall character of racing with the absence of an internal combustion engine, the powerful motors powering the powertrain and the wheels directly mean that the car can jump to top speed in no time with massive torque.
ABB NASCAR EV Prototype
But does NASCAR need that torque and a sudden surge of power? The sport has built on its current racing style for decades, and bringing such a huge change would not seem to make the most sense. Such qualities could be used by the NHRA, and luckily for them, Ford has already made a huge EV announcement.
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Despite the many positives about the 2024 NASCAR prototype, the fans were not happy with the innovation, especially at a time when the Gen-7 cars were under criticism. The current criticism that Probst is receiving because of the plans he revealed is somewhat similar.
Fans also claim that the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series is delivering the strongest racing in NASCAR’s top tier right now, and doing any such experiments could send the overall product on a downward spiral, similar to what Sheldon Creed mentioned.
The post “I Think It’d Take the Series Down”: NASCAR Star Pushes Back Against Sport’s Ambitious Future With Certain Warning appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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