I NASCAR planning on converting to Hybrid cars since the Homestead pace car will be Hybrid?
June 6, 2009 in NASCAR
Did you know that you can save fuel and run your car on water
Tina asked:
http://www.hybridcars.com/news/nascars-hybrid-pace-car-25243.html
is
Did you know that you can save fuel and run your car on water
No, Ford is the sponsor of the race at Homestead and when a manufacturer sponsors a race they usually bring out their latest and greatest to put on display as the pace car ie. Chevrolet brought out the Corvette ZR-1 as the pace car at Indianapolis.
Nascar cars run 358 cubic inch max small block v8 engines. These engines are based off of the Chevrolet 350, Dodge 360, Ford 351w, and Toyota developed an engine to meet the rule requirements, and with most engines making close to 1000hp gross, there is no way hybrid technology can generate that power.
These engines use overhead valve cylinder heads, a carburetor, and distributor as the ignition source; most of these technologies and the engines the racing models are based on went out of production in the 80′s and 90′s so that would be alot of catching up to do. Also considering these cars average 170-180 mph laps at the bigger tracks with races consisting of around 330 laps for a 500 mile race, no hybrid technology exists that could handle that type of power output or endurance. We don’t even run ethanol or bio-diesel like alot of the open wheel and sports car series do now.
U should be converted to a hybrid. Get a clue.
yep and for pit stops they are going to plug the cars in to recharge should take around 3 hrs per stop
You’ve got to be kidding right?? If not you don’t have a clue about cars do you?
I don’t think they are considering it in the near future but I’m sure they are considering hybrids or full electrics in the far future, say 10+ years.
NASCAR will and should change their cars as the average production car changes
As gas prices rise, NASCAR is going to be under more and more scrutiny as a “wasteful” sport. In this case, shifting to hybrids would be a way to improve NASCARs image and be good for the sport. Other series are already exploring alternative power sources (ethanol, diesel, regen braking, etc.) so NASCAR should let themselves get too far behind the ball.
Hybrid racecars in todays technology would be difficult but not impossible. I think the limiting factor would be batteries. They could swap out battery packs during pit stops, but for now they would be really heavy, or really expensive, or both. of course, you could add a small electric engine to the current car and it would be a hybrid, and have more power! I think a production block 4 cyl or v-6 putting out 400 or so hp and an electric motor adding 100-200hp would be good.
Could it be? Yes. Will it be? Not for 3 or 4 years.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they converted to tap water cars (Hydrogen) or Diesel, but not Hybrid.
Nope. But I have wondered if a switch to ethanol, ala the IRL isn’t to far off. Maybe then they wouldn’t get bashed as much for being a polluter and frivolous gas user. Then what would the hippies blog about?