THE TIME IS RIGHT FOR AN ELECTRIC INDY 500.

By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Detroit. I have written extensively over the last several weeks ("A Major Shift For Audi. And For Racing" and "The Hum Of Change Is About To Takeover Racing" that the winds of change blowing through the racing world are starting to pick up speed. The signs are everywhere. The major manufacturers are committing huge amounts of research and development money to electrification, with fully electric vehicles coming on line in a wide range of segments over the next five years. Audi, BMW, Renault, Mahindra, McLaren, Mercedes - and even Ferrari according to rumblings emanating from Maranello - have either committed to Formula E, are about to, or are heavily researching it.

Even though many assumed that the shifting of resources by Audi from competing in the WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans to Formula E was driven as much by the diesel emissions cheating scandal as anything else, the fact remains that the Volkswagen Group is doubling down on electrification on a massive scale. And let's not forget, since we live in an era where ROI (Return On Investment) dominates the rationale for manufacturers competing in motorsports, connecting R&D money to major league racing programs has become an essential ingredient in order for these manufacturers to commit to the huge budgets required to race - and win. So make no mistake, the push to electrification by these manufacturers to transform our passenger vehicles is going to directly affect the direction of racing going forward.

So here we are. We have a Formula E Championship that is growing in stature and importance in the racing world almost by the hour, we have manufacturers looking for avenues to demonstrate their technical prowess in the electrification arena, and we have the inescapable fact that manufacturer R&D budgets need to be directly related in some way, shape or form to the vehicles they build. And, to top all of this off, we have a major league racing series here in the U.S. - IndyCar - that is in desperate need of new money and new manufacturer participation. Ideally, that would mean two manufacturers joining GM's Chevrolet and Honda in providing engines and most important, a new infusion of money into the series. But given what I've just said, do you really think that's going to happen? The short answer? No. These manufacturers are looking for something more. They're looking for a competitive outlet to showcase their electrification chops, and other than Formula E (and an upcoming class in Global Rallycross), there is nothing here.

I fondly recall the days when the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - and the Indianapolis 500 - was instrumental in bringing innovation to racing. Those days are long gone, and no, you can't go back and keep on wishing for the glory days to return, but a new chapter can and needs to be be written. Ten years ago this coming January (see the details on the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation below -WG), I proposed an innovative new kind of racing for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway using hydrogen-electric powered racing machines. The idea was to use racing to accelerate the development of and solve the tremendous problems associated with the challenges of hydrogen-electric vehicles in terms of heat management, range, the safe storage of the on-board hydrogen fuel, refueling time, etc., etc. It was met with much enthusiasm, especially from GM and Toyota - but the burgeoning financial challenges looming on the horizon proved to be too much and, for all intents and purposes, it was deemed to be an idea that was too far ahead of its time.

But there was much interest, and many of the things I proposed would certainly be valid - if not more so - today, especially given the accelerated interest in electrification. One part of the proposed rules package for HERF was that every manufacturer competing had to design its own "sound signature" for the cars that would be made up of electronic enhancement and projection plus the use of airflow over the machines to create a unique sound. This is one aspect of Formula E that needs to be addressed as soon as possible, too, especially with new manufacturers joining the fray.

At any rate, I am proposing an all-electric 500-mile race at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that would run one week before the Indianapolis 500. It would be an event where every major automobile manufacturer in the world would be welcome to showcase their technological capabilities. As with HERF, the rules would be simple: The cars - no more than two would be allowed to negotiate the 500 miles, meaning a 250-mile range at racing speeds would be a minimal requirement - would have to fit in a dimensional "box" and meet current and future safety regulations. Everything else would be "free" and up to the creative abilities of the manufacturers involved. Can you imagine the creativity that would be unleashed for this event? Can you imagine how the pace of development for batteries, recharging and range would be accelerated due to the intense competition between the manufacturers?

I feel the time is right for an event of this kind to capture the imagination of racing enthusiasts and the broader consumer public alike. It would require a massive buy-in by at least four manufacturers initially, but I think the field would grow exponentially - and quickly - from there. It will require vision on the part of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway - and IndyCar team owners - to see a concept like this through to fruition, but if the most famous track in the world wants to enhance its status as "America's Cathedral of Speed" well into the future, an all-electric 500-mile race as part of its festivities in May would be just what the doctor ordered.

Last week, in my column entitled "The Quandary Facing IndyCar" I said, "But if IndyCar is ever going to become an innovative racing environment again, one that projects toward the future of the sport, the owners and the participating manufacturers will have to take a different path."

This is that different path.

And that's the High-Octane Truth for this week.

Editor's Note: Many of you have seen Peter's references over the years to the Hydrogen Electric Racing Federation (HERF), which he launched in 2007. For those of you who weren't following AE at the time, you can read two of HERF's press releases here and here. And for even more details (including a link to Peter's announcement speech), check out the HERF entry on Wikipedia here. -WG

Publisher's Note: As part of our continuing series celebrating the "Glory Days" of racing, we're proud to present another noteworthy image from the Ford Racing Archives. - PMD

(Courtesy of the Ford Racing Archives)
Indianapolis, Indiana, 1963. Dan Gurney prepares for a practice run in his mid-engine Lotus-Ford at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, with Colin Chapman (in sunglasses) striding away in the background. Gurney was instrumental in bringing the Ford Motor Company and Chapman together for an assault on the Indianapolis 500, culminating in a win two years later by Jim Clark.