“This isn’t it”: Bubba Wallace’s spotter unsure of NASCAR’s DJ idea with EV racecars

Bubba Wallace's spotter, Freddie Kraft opined on the proposal made by John Probst, NASCAR's senior VP, on the introduction of electric cars in the sport. Probst said he believes that the sport could reinvent the fan experience if NASCAR pursue electric racing, with one of the options being DJ.

However, Bubba Wallace's spotter believes it would take much more than that to attract the motorsport audience.

NASCAR introduced its first electric race car this past Saturday in Chicago. They partnered with Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota and the electrification firm, ABB to showcase the electric vehicle and to assess fan interest in electric racing. The Associated Press was given an exclusive first look at the $1.5 million prototype.

As NASCAR is looking to expand the Electric Vehicle's reach in the sport, John Probst, its senior vice president and chief racing development officer, emphasized their adaptability, saying (via ESPN):

"It's our goal to entertain our fans. If our fans tell us this is what they want to see, we know how to create a racing series around pretty much anything."

However, Freddie Kraft, Bubba Wallace's spotter, expressed skepticism about the appeal of DJs to NASCAR's traditional audience. He remarked [via Door Bumper Clear podcast]:

"If you want to get our fan base excited about this electric car coming, this isn’t it. But let me tell you what they're gonna do, and I learned this out the hard way when I got in TJ's Tesla - these cars are gonna haul a**."

As per the updates, NASCAR plans to introduce sustainable racing fuel, implement recycling at all events and utilize 100% renewable electricity at the facilities and tracks it owns by 2028. The organization aims to achieve net zero operating emissions by 2035.

Furthermore, the organization owns 15 tracks across the U.S., located along major highways. As per the reports, ABB is set to install electric vehicle charging stations at these venues, which will be linked to the grid. These stations will accommodate standard electric cars and will be open to the public, not just those attending races.

The organization is investigating the potential for racing with hydrogen-powered cars as well. Meanwhile, IMSA, the sports car series under the sport's umbrella, made the switch to hybrid engines in 2023.

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The new NASCAR electric car has horsepower of more than 1300

Currently, the sport uses V-8 engines in its Next Gen cars, which deliver around 670 horsepower. The EV prototype, however, took it to the next level, with power being delivered to all four Goodyear-shod wheels, resulting in a maximum output of over 1300 horsepower. The car is equipped with a 78.0-kWh liquid-cooled battery and features regenerative braking, which NASCAR highlighted as ideal for road courses and short oval tracks.

The same team of engineers who developed the Next Gen car introduced in 2022 and worked on the Garage 56 car that competed at Le Mans in 2023 has built this prototype.

Despite its impressive specs, driver David Ragan noted during a test drive that his fastest lap at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia was “two-tenths of a second slower” than in a gas-powered car. He attributed this to the weight of the electric car, which affected its speed on the turns.