Automotive Electrification Gets A Chance To Shine At Nascar Race

When NASCAR driver Aric Almirola gained the pole at Bristol Motor Speedway on the Friday previous to the Cup sequence race, he introduced quite a lot of consideration for a sponsor new to the game.

The Stewart-Haas Racing driver is a part of Ford’s racing program and as such the model makes use of its sponsorship to focus on Ford services or products every now and then. Almirola’s sponsor for the Bristol night time race, nonetheless, was an uncommon one, not a Ford services or products, however a spot.

It’s no secret that the automotive trade is transitioning to the extra environmentally pleasant world of electrification. That transition went into overdrive this 12 months due largely to increased oil and fuel costs. Within the first quarter of 2022 Ford reported a 139% increase in sales of electric vehicles. That development was attributed to its Mustang Mach-E and E-Transit automobiles, at the moment the one two EVs within the stock. The corporate began transport its F-150 Lightning pickup truck within the following months as the expansion exhibits no indicators of slowing.

It ought to come as no shock then that Ford is engaged on the infrastructure to help the EVs development within the coming years. One in every of newest investments is BlueOval Metropolis a 3600-acre campus protecting six sq. miles that can produce the brand new electrical truck and batteries to energy future Ford and Lincoln automobiles when it opens in 2025.

So why promote BlueOval Metropolis through a NASCAR racecar at a race at Bristol? BlueOval Metropolis is being inbuilt Stanton, a city in western Tennessee lower than 500 miles from the monitor. The $5.6 billion funding Ford is making in BlueOval will make it one of many largest manufacturing campuses in U.S. historical past and can create some 6,000 jobs.

With the Bristol night time race historically being among the finest attended races on the NASCAR circuit, it gave Ford an opportunity to showcase BlueOval Metropolis to hundreds of followers, a lot of whom stay within the space.

“We all know how a lot Tennessean’s love motorsports,” stated Kel Kearns, electrical car middle plant supervisor at BlueOval Metropolis. “To be on Aric’s automotive this weekend for probably the most well-liked occasions of the season is an excellent solution to unfold the message of who we’re and the arrival of BlueOval Metropolis.”

Altogether Ford together with its Korean battery associate SK innovation will likely be investing a complete of $11.4 billion in BlueOval City and two battery factories in Glendale, Kentucky.

Almirola has been a Ford driver for a lot of his whole 11-year profession racing fulltime in NASCAR’s Cup sequence and has seen how the model has progressed when it comes EVs.

“It has been a lot enjoyable for me to have the ability to see backstage.,” Almirola stated. “Right here’s one other alternative to be concerned in the way forward for Ford Motor Firm and to have the ability to solid a highlight on BlueOval Metropolis and what an exceptional place that they’re gonna construct there. They’re gonna create between there and BlueOval SK 11,000 new American jobs. It’s simply unimaginable and it’s been actually satisfying to be alongside for the trip all through the journey.”

MORE FROM FORBESNascar’s Next Gen Car Is Preparing The Sport For ElectrificationBy Greg Engle

Whereas it may appear odd to showcase an electrical car future at a NASCAR race, electrification isn’t one thing NASCAR is shying away from. Their Subsequent Gen racecar, which made its aggressive debut this season, is designed with an structure that will support a hybrid system in the future. The truth is, the game has already achieved some testing with the brand new system and there may be speak a hybrid racecar may very well be demonstrated within the subsequent couple of years.

And NASCAR’s drivers are already onboard with EVs.

“I’ve pushed the Mach-E fairly a bit,” Almirola stated. “The individuals at Ford have been gracious sufficient to let me have one for per week and the youngsters liked it. We raced each single individual we may from a cease mild in Mooresville, Cornelius and Kannapolis, North Carolina. Everyone that was prepared to race us from a cease mild we raced, at the very least to the pace restrict. So, zero to 45 or zero to 55 I don’t assume there was a race we misplaced, so we had a whole lot of enjoyable with that.”

Almirola sees the transition to electrification within the automotive house as a development as pure as these seen in earlier instances.

“I really feel like we’re residing in a type of eras to the place you’re on the brink of see one thing spectacular and also you’re on the brink of stay by way of it,” Almirola stated. “You assume again to once we went from these huge heavy muscle automobiles to lighter weight extra aerodynamic extra sophistication, extra electronics, digital gas injection and all these issues. My father and grandfather received to stay by way of that transition, so right here we’re on the brink of stay by way of the transition of seeing extra electrification and what the capabilities are.”

As knowledgeable racer, the one factor that Almirola cares about is what occurs behind the wheel. And he says what’s beneath the hood isn’t that essential.

“I believe that’s probably the most spectacular half from my standpoint is for a man that likes to carry the steering wheel and to mash the throttle, you need it to be an thrilling expertise,” he stated. “You need to take pleasure in driving the car and I’ve been simply amazed and fascinated with the automobiles that Ford has put out with electrification.”

Almirola led the sector to the inexperienced at Bristol Saturday night time and confirmed off Ford’s BlueOval Metropolis to the NASCAR world. And it in all probability gained’t be the final time the electrification of the automotive will likely be showcased to NASCAR and its followers.

“It’s an amazing alternative to showcase what’s occurring in BlueOval Metropolis in Tennessee at Bristol and associate with an amazing occasion with NASCAR and Aric and his Ford Mustang,” Kearns stated.

“Electrification is the long run. It’s the subsequent technology. It’s thrilling new expertise, however that doesn’t change what Ford is. Ford is about Ford Efficiency and racing is a part of our DNA, in order that’s what we’re going to showcase this weekend as we transfer ahead and showcase BlueOval Metropolis on the No. 10 this weekend.”