HMS’ Rick Hendrick breaks down why it’s 'just almost impossible' to race EV in NASCAR

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Justin P Joy | Last updated 3/28/24

Hall of Fame NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick has recently detailed some issues that could not allow the premier stock car racing championship to run electric cars. EV’s has been one of the hot topics in the racing community and recently NASCAR even tested it’s own EV race car. But a break through is yet to be made to make such vehicles the go to in the sport.

Rick Hendrick pointed out that one of the main reason this transition hasn’t yet happened is the fact that NASCAR hasn’t taken the next-step towards it. A proper hybrid car needs to be established and raced before going full-electric. Hendrick also reminded NASCAR that the Next-Gen cars are built to be hybrids.

I think our cars, the cars we race today, are built to be hybrid. So we can go hybrid. In IMSA [International Motor Sports Association], they’re running hybrids. I don’t see as much pressure on EVs because that’s just almost impossible to run in a [NASCAR] race unless you have a hybrid to charge it. Hendrick told Robb Report.

The champion team owner also discussed how the car manufacturers are tracking back their plans to go fully electric and is exploring the possibility of hybrid vehicles. He believes the consumer are not ready for the EV’s to take the centre stage and the car builders have realised this.

Hendrick who owns one of the biggest vehicles dealerships in the country pointed out that it’s hard for him to get consumers coming for EV’s. If NASCAR brings in hybrid cars it can have big influence in the car consumer market as NASCAR is still a big influencer in the scene.

Rick Hendrick shot down theories that NASCAR now doesn’t have big impact on the market

One of the biggest reason NASCAR became the mega-racing championship it is today was it’s influence on how customers buy cars. Over the years the moto of “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” started becoming less true. But Hendrick when asked about it pointed out that NASCAR still has a major impact on the market.

In our business, you still see diehard Chevy, Ford, and Toyota fans. When our cars win, people will hit the website and we get leads and customers off of that. So, from our standpoint, we know it works.

Hendrick said.

Rick Hendrick, who is the most accomplished team owner in the sports’ history, has spoken a lot of positive things about the sport. It’s shows NASCAR is one again growing and has the potential get back it’s glory days once.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: