Should NASCAR Go the IndyCar Way in Hybrid vs Electric Battle in Near Future? Roger Penske Gives Much-Needed Clarity

The splendor of V8 engines rumbling down the racetrack is one of the many aspects of motorsports that keep the fans engaged and elated. However, with the conversation regarding the future of racing and how several people within the industry are inclined toward an electric future, would the same be a possibility for a series like NASCAR? Probably not at the moment.

Team Penske bossman and the owner of the NTT IndyCar Series, Roger Penske recently mentioned that he believes it wouldn’t be electric-powered cars that would dominate shortly, but hybrid power delivery systems could be the more likely possibility.

“I think the hybrid formula seems to be something that will make a lot of sense as we go forward because we’ve been seeing electrification kind of slow down here lately. I think hybrid is more of a bridging strategy to the future,” Penske mentioned during an interview.

Meanwhile, starting from the 2024 season IndyCar will be adopting a hybrid 2.2-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 engine for all of their cars. Hence, looking at that transition, it could be a possibility for NASCAR to take up a similar approach.

Roger Penske explains issues with EV and why hybrid seems like the perfect option

With manufacturers moving toward more sustainable options for their engine development as well as racing infrastructure, it would make sense to make the jump into the hybrid era, instead of jumping straight into the EV future. Also considering how there are still problems with the charging infrastructure and range issues in the EV realm it wouldn’t be a viable approach at the moment.

Speaking further Penske mentioned, “We have an issue of the reliability of the charging network, the infrastructure is not there, range anxieties. Remember with Formula E they had to come in and get in another car.”

He then explained that if they had to go electric then bringing in two cars per driver to a NASCAR Cup Series race would not be something they would consider as a cost-effective approach at the moment. It can surely be considered a possibility in the future. But at the moment, Penske believes that Hybrid is the most likely approach. “I think the hybrid version could be very good,” he concluded.