[Ronald McChevy]

NASCAR, meet the electric Chevy Volt

FORT WORTH, Texas (CNN) -- Imagine a sun-swept Texas afternoon in 2015. After the roar of a ceremonial flyover, a Texas Motor Speedway crowd of 200,000 rises to its feet in anticipation of NASCAR's signature moment.

The celeb du jour grabs the microphone and bellows, "Gentlemen, start your engines!"

As the fans join in a full-throated cheer, 43 of the world's best drivers reach down and press a button. What follows is unprecedented: pin-dropping silence, save for 43 small clicks.

This scenario isn't as unfathomable as it may seem. In fact, in a sport whose fans often wear their American pride on their sleeves along with the image of their favorite driver, it may offer a strongly pro-American vision of the future.

NASCAR, meet the Chevrolet Volt, which General Motors believes will become the first mass-produced plug-in electric car on American roads by late 2010. The latest symbol of GM's new mantra, "From gas-friendly to gas-free," the Volt was unveiled to the media last week at Texas Motor Speedway, in the heart of NASCAR country.

Electric cars, with their quiet engines, turning laps in silence every Sunday on the NASCAR circuit? It may be a tough sell.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/biztech/10/01/volt.car.nascar/index.html

 

[Uzzy]

Ya, that'll happen.

I wish they would race real stock cars again, not the cookie cutter with stickers that they have now. And maybe they could turn right once in a while, bot now I'm just talkin' crazy! :blah:

 

[T-Type]

Yea, right that'll happen.

They still use carburetors for goodness sakes!

Besides, Peter Delorenzo already started up an alternative powered race league. That hasn't set the world on fire yet.

 

[leelander]

Ya, that'll happen.

I wish they would race real stock cars again, not the cookie cutter with stickers that they have now. And maybe they could turn right once in a while, bot now I'm just talkin' crazy! :blah:

baahahahahahahahahahahahahah!!!!! i like that one!

 

[61BelAir]

lol....yeah...and the cars won't have onboard drivers either. The tracks will have grooves cut into them for each car and the drivers will sit in the grandstand with a hand controller.

For all you haters, long live NASCAR, carburetors, and push rod motors that scream to 9000 rpm

 

[drew630]

lol....yeah...and the cars won't have onboard drivers either. The tracks will have grooves cut into them for each car and the drivers will sit in the grandstand with a hand controller.

For all you haters, long live NASCAR, carburetors, and push rod motors that scream to 9000 rpm

Agreed!!

I mean come on, Nascar just switched to unleaded fuel. Isn't that green enough?

 

[jaywestfall]

Not to diss my fellow Texans, but Fort Worth is hardly what I would consider to be the "heart" of NASCAR country. That title belongs to Charlotte, NC, but that oversight is what I would expect from the media.

And long live the smell of gas fumes and burning rubber, too!!!!

 

[Uzzy]

Not to diss my fellow Texans, but Fort Worth is hardly what I would consider to be the "heart" of NASCAR country. That title belongs to Charlotte, NC, but that oversight is what I would expect from the media.

And long live the smell of gas fumes and burning rubber, too!!!!

I love the smell of race gas in the morning.

 

[motorman]

they could race the volt and recharge them on pit stops.

 

['Vette Dude]

they could race the volt and recharge them on pit stops.

that would make for a long race :fall::fall::fall:

 

[red_rider]

Sorry but I'll stick to the roar of the V8 hooked up to a stick shift and rwd.

 

['Vette Dude]

Sorry but I'll stick to the roar of the V8 hooked up to a stick shift and rwd.

NASCAR Volt's will have a V8 generator and RWD :laugh::laugh::laugh:

 

[American_Muscle]

Not to diss my fellow Texans, but Fort Worth is hardly what I would consider to be the "heart" of NASCAR country. That title belongs to Charlotte, NC, but that oversight is what I would expect from the media.

And long live the smell of gas fumes and burning rubber, too!!!!

amen. Dont even want to imagine what would happen to NASCAR if the big 3 go bankrupt toyota vs honda for the win...and about 5 people in the stands cheering on the 3 drivers

 

['Vette Dude]

toyota vs honda for the win

:barf::barf::barf::barf::barf:

 

[RamJet502]

I still wish NASCAR would race the Camaro, Mustang, and Challenger in a series.

 

[SDRacing]

Boy I Havent been around in awhile! I think we're all gonna get our wish. I saw this on Jayski.com awhile back. Meet the new Challenger, Nationwide series Racecar. Jalopnik says only a prototype not yet finished. For this series the manufacturers get more hands on of the finished design

Good to see you back. its been a while. I thought I saw pictures of the cars testing, and they all looked like cots. Although your pic didnt come up for me here, ive seen the challenger. I read back in Feb that GM will use the Malibu.