Someday, the drag strip will fall silent as the first set of electric dragsters lines up. The NHRA stopped short of setting a specific date, but the body will one day welcome electric racers.
Glen Cromwell, current president of the NHRA, confirmed the governing body includes electric drag racing in its future marketing mix, and discussions have already begun with numerous automaker brands. Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, and Dodge have all been a part of the conversation, according to a Monday Autoweek report.
"Wally Parks’ mission was to provide a place to race. If the demand from the consumer is there, we’ll provide a class. We’re in the car business. The NHRA will evolve," Cromwell said.
Just don't expect electric drag racers to overtake Funny Cars or Top Fuel Dragsters anytime soon. Cromwell will receive electric cars with open arms, but they won't be a replacement for NHRA staples. Rather, electric racers will be an "important" part of the NHRA's future, per the body's president.
Prominent Funny Car racer and Ford dealer Bob Tasca III believes, based on the information he knows, that an electric-car class is much closer than many think. Like Cromwell, Tasca is all for electric cars in the NHRA and thinks the technology will be absolutely beneficial to racers.
Electric cars in motorsports are only now finding a legitimate footing. FIA-sanctioned Formula E continues to grow, and electric cars continue to prove their worth at some of the world's toughest events. Most recently, Volkswagen's ID R electric race car set a new class record for the quickest electric car at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Tasca is convinced Tesla won't get all the coverage in the near future in the electric-car industry, either. Speaking of what Ford has shared with him, future product is "unbelievable," per the racer and Ford dealer.