“It’s Going to Take a While”: Denny Hamlin on NASCAR Embracing Electrification

Whether one likes it or not, the truth is that in the future, near or far, cars and automobiles will all embrace electrification. This applies to motorsports as well and, therefore, to NASCAR as well. There have already been whispers of electrification in NASCAR somewhere down the line in some way or form. But according to Denny Hamlin, one of the biggest names in the sport, it won’t be in a hurry because it’s a fine balance.

Hamlin recently pointed to the delicate balance between the demands of the fans and the vision of the OEMs regarding the subject of an electric future in NASCAR. “You’ve got our avid NASCAR fans that want one thing, you’ve got new fans that would like to see other things, you’ve got OEMs, that frankly, aren’t even aligned on what they believe the future is, whether it’s all lithium battery or is it some sort of mixture with hydrogen,” Hamlin said as per Autoweek.

“I think it’s going to take a while for this to play out, and it’s going to take years to play out to figure out where transportation in general in the U.S. goes and throughout the world.”

The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran also added that NASCAR, as a governing body, needs to “put their foot down” and demand what they need from a competition standpoint. But at the same time, Hamlin also mentioned the need for OEMs to have a voice considering they’re the ones who “keep this thing afloat from a return perspective of selling street cars.”

A fine balance.

NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell also echoed Denny Hamlin’s ‘going to take a while’ take

During a media appearance last month, NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell revealed that they are indeed preparing for and working on an electric racecar. According to O’Donnell, a lot of work has already gone into this racecar at NASCAR’s R&D Center, claiming they already have a car and alternate body for it.

However, O’Donnell also claimed that their idea for now is not to introduce that electric vehicle into NASCAR directly.

So it could be a while before NASCAR fans, who are quite passionate about the old-school ICE style of a racecar, see an electric motor inside the racecar. Although, this doesn’t rule out a hybrid engine such as the one in Formula 1 and other racing series.

Either way, only time will tell what the future holds for NASCAR.