NASCAR Sprint Cup: What If the Circuit Went Fully Green?

Although NASCAR has grudgingly obliged to the current political and social trends of going "greener,"  it is hardly evident that it is 100-percent committed to the transition.

This is for good reason. When it switched over to using unleaded fuels for the first time in 2007, the first race saw no less than four engine failures blamed on unleaded fuel for the engine's early demise. 

Despite this hiccup, the NASCAR Sprint Cup series transitioned to unleaded fuel for its first full season in 2008, about 20 years after leaded fuels were no longer available to the general gas-buying public.

All remained relatively quiet until 2011, when NASCAR decided to introduce an ethanol additive (derived from corn) into the fuel to presumably use less oil. 

If you have watched any significant portion of a Sprint Cup race this year, it is difficult to avoid seeing commercials featuring Roush Fenway Racing driver Greg Biffle stating this fact and how it represents NASCAR teaming up with the American farmer to create a safer and more sustainable future.

This is an honorable step in the right direction. However, any consumer who has used ethanol-infused gas knows that while it's sometimes cheaper at the pump, it burns with less efficiency over the course of one tank. 

Put in simple terms: it causes the engine to run with greater horsepower but lowers (significantly) the ratio of miles per gallon. This is a case of "robbing Peter to pay Paul." It just depends on whether we value emissions pollution or oil consumption as a larger conundrum.

NASCAR is currently testing fuel injection systems rather than the old carburetor to clean up harmful emissions as well. It is unknown at this time whether NASCAR will actually adopt this new system.

But, taking these efforts to their most extreme conclusion, what if NASCAR tried to go as green as possible. What if it tried to eliminate the need for fuel in any of its races?

The major car manufacturers could theoretically trade out their Chevrolet Impalas, Toyota Camrys and Ford Fusions for the electric cars currently in production. Jimmie Johnson could climb into a Chevrolet Volt. Kyle Busch could pilot a Toyota Prius. Carl Edwards could do flips off of either a Ford Fusion Hybrid or a Ford Focus Electric.

Naturally, this would completely alter the modern concept of the pit stop. Instead of having a gasman lug huge cans of Sunoco fuel and jam them full up until the moment the driver speeds away, he would be replaced by a "chargeman" using some kind of tool to charge the car up to full power in a small amount of time.

At the very least, it would silence all of the criticism that has been leveled recently due to the high number of fuel mileage races currently part of the NASCAR landscape.

Other unintended criticism would undoubtedly ensue. Most assuredly, this is an impossible reality even in the long term. But what a revolutionary development it would be! 

The sport would become a shadow of its former self.