The Red Bull Global Rallycross racing series kicked off in 2011. The series involves short sprint races of just a few laps in an all-out blitz for supremacy. The last few years have been dominated by Andretti Racing. Partnered with Volkswagen and run by Michael Andretti, this team features drivers Scott Speed and Tanner Foust, who regularly post wins and now championships.
Andretti has an interesting outlook on the future of the sport, as he believes electric vehicles could be perfect for the series. "I think the future is pretty exciting and I think electric could be a big part of it. Many of us have come to the conclusion that GRC would be the perfect place to showcase electric vehicles. What you’re looking for out of these race cars is a lot of torque, which is what electric gives you, and the races are so short that range isn’t a concern," Andretti said.
CHECK OUT: The beginner's guide to World Rallycross
Andretti makes some good points. Rallycross begins with qualifying, which breaks the drivers and cars into ten-minute sessions where they try to set fast laps. After that, the heats run five laps apiece. They run through a number of heats to determine the semifinals and then the main event.
The current cars launch from 0-60 mph in 1.9 seconds. An electric rallycross vehicle would be able to dish out boat loads of torque to deliver that kind of performance, and it would only need to do so for 10-20 minutes at a time. The potential for a skateboard-chassis type EV would give teams a great platform on which to build, while also keeping the spec-nature of the series in check.
It would also be a great way for more folks to see just what electric vehicles are capable of, and shine a light on their potential in future forms of motorsport.
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