I love the Indy 500 and I hope there is a major race using electric cars in my life time.

jorno67

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Sun May-29-11 11:14 AM
Original message

I love the Indy 500 and I hope there is a major race using electric cars in my life time.

I thing it is possible, I just hope someone makes it happen soon.

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Old and In the Way

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Sun May-29-11 11:22 AM
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1. They'll need to have audible speakers that generate engine sounds to give it

a certain authenticity of the event.

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Ready4Change

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Sun May-29-11 11:23 AM
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2. Was just thinking that myself.

One problem is the lack of engine noise. For many motorsports fans, noise is a big part of the event. From their current (sic) mindset, the sound of electric vehicles just isn't exciting.

But there are some inroads already. Drag racing is one place EV's are making (some) progress.

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jorno67

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Sun May-29-11 12:04 PM
Response to Reply #2

6. there still would be a noise - i fly electric r/c planes and they

Have a unique scream that's fun to hear.

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MilesColtrane

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Sun May-29-11 11:24 AM
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3. There gonna need some loooooong extension cords.

(I keed, I keed...)

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Fumesucker

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Sun May-29-11 11:27 AM
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4. ...

http://www.gizmag.com/ev-cup-launch-usa/18727/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=696ad27c22-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

Billed as world's first race series exclusively for zero-emission electric cars, the EV Cup was originally scheduled to kick off its inaugural season in the U.K. at Silverstone on August 6, 2011. It has now been delayed and will start out in the U.S. with two race events in California at Laguna Seca in November and Auto Club Speedway in December, ahead of a full series launch in 2012. EV Cup organizers say they wanted to ensure that everything was ready before the series kicks off and cited safety requirements, car delivery schedules and the need for testing time as the reasons for the switch.

"The interest in the EV Cup has been fantastic, especially in the U.S. which is why we wanted to keep our two race events there this year," said Sylvain Filippi, managing director of the EV Cup. "We plan to begin the full series early in 2012 and will expect to start with races in the U.S. again before coming back to Europe for races here."

The EV Cup is a seven-race motorsport series that will include two principle classes of zero emission electric cars - the City EV class and the Sports EV class. The City EV class is limited to city focused, production vehicles and will feature THINK City vehicles that have been modified to race specification with weight reductions and the latest THINK prepared motor and battery technologies.

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jorno67

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Sun May-29-11 11:32 AM
Response to Reply #4

5. very cool - thanks for posting.

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Jokerman

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Sun May-29-11 12:18 PM
Response to Reply #4

8. I'd love to see them race here at the IMS.

"Gasoline Alley" would never be the same!

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jorno67

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Sun May-29-11 12:23 PM
Response to Reply #8

9. oh yeah you'd have to have them at the major tracks

And with real distances. But speed and competition will be the major factor if something like that would work.

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FourScore

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Sun May-29-11 12:14 PM
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7. I used to be a HUGE Formula One fan.

Edited on Sun May-29-11 12:15 PM by FourScore

I knew all the drivers, and which team used which engines. I loved the Prost-Senna duels. It was fantastic.

Now I have kids and don't live in Europe, so I'd have to get up in the middle of the night to watch the races. Too much trouble. And I never liked the sport as much after Senna died. There were a series of bad accidents that year.

I never got into Indy or NASCAR though. They were dull to me. The circular track was too monotonous.

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mn9driver

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Sun May-29-11 12:43 PM
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10. The racing establishment is notoriously resistant to change.

When Granatelli brought a turbine car to Indy in 1967 and it was clearly capable of running circles around the piston cars, they changed the rules the next year to be sure it was restricted to the point of being non-competitive.

The racing business has a huge investment in keeping things the same.

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jorno67

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Sun May-29-11 12:49 PM
Response to Reply #10

11. i dont think they would ever have a mixed race...

Gas vs electric will never happen except for novelty events. But they do change, it used to be Ford Cosworth vs Chevy and now its exclusively Honda.

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mn9driver

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Sun May-29-11 01:15 PM
Response to Reply #11

16. I miss the Offenhauser days.

Nothing sounds like that.

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obxhead

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Sun May-29-11 12:54 PM
Response to Reply #10

13. The same thing happened to the rotary engine.

When it was introduced to racing it was quickly banned or moved into much higher classes.

Today the 80 ci rotary is commonly classed with 12 cylinder engines.

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lumberjack_jeff

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Sun May-29-11 12:51 PM
Response to Original message

12. Define "major"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrHXdM9f13k

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jorno67

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Sun May-29-11 01:09 PM
Response to Reply #12

14. I would like to see electric run races that are at least equal to the Indy light serirs

They ran a 40 lap 100 mile race at Indy on Friday.

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lumberjack_jeff

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Sun May-29-11 01:15 PM
Response to Reply #14

15. Most modern race courses are designed for IC engines

500 mile races are probably not the optimum demonstration of EVs.

But drag races? Oh yeah.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wid6HDCStQs

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