National Council of Corvette Clubs Bans the E-Ray from Competition
Also, if you bring an E-Ray to a track just to watch, prepare to park it at least 30 feet away from other cars and all buildings.
Imagine you just spent big money to purchase a new E-Ray Corvette. You can’t wait to get it out on the racetrack to see what that 655 horsepower can really do when pushed to the limit. But there is a problem. Your new six-figure E-Ray is not welcomed on the racetrack. In fact, you can’t even park it near the track, or any of its buildings or any other cars. The National Council of Corvette Clubs (NCCC) has recently updated its 2022 – 2023 competition rulebook. And one of the updates is to ban all EVs and hybrid vehicles from all track competitions. Section 1.8.1 item 14 reads:
Electric Vehicles/Hybrids using lithium type battery packs are prohibited in competitive events. If driven to NCCC events, they should be parked 30 feet minimum from structures or other vehicles.
And the NCCC is not alone. Summit Point Motorsports Park is a popular racetrack in West Virginia. It is about a ten-hour drive from Bowling Green, Kentucky. As recently reported by Grassroots Motorsports Summit Point has also enacted a ban of EVs and hybrids. Edwin Pardue, Director of Motorsports Operations at Summit Point Motorsports Park said in part:
Summit Point Motorsports Park’s decision to take a “tactical pause” in halting the use of electric and hybrid electric vehicles in all motorsports disciplines at our location is purely based on ensuring we establish an EMS response policy and procedure based on technical knowledge provided by the electric and hybrid electric vehicle industry community to better support the motorsports community.
There is no word on how long this ban will last. But if you are a track junkie you probably want to stick to a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle for the foreseeable future.
Why the Ban?
Because these people are afraid of losing to battery-powered racecars! Just kidding. Here’s the deal:
Most EVs and hybrids today use lithium-ion batteries. That includes the new Corvette E-Ray. If there is a component failure with the battery or it is damaged during a crash this can cause a fire. A fire from a high-voltage battery poses additional risks when compared to a traditional gasoline fire. The damaged cells in the battery can experience uncontrolled increases in temperature and pressure called thermal runaway. This can lead to the fire reigniting after the flames were put out and everyone thought the condition was under control. In addition, there are risks of electric shock when dealing with these types of incidents.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a statement a couple years ago highlighting the risks with these vehicles. Having these running at high speed on a racetrack only increases the risk. That is why these bans are being put in place.
More To Come
In the short term, we expect racetrack bans on EVs and hybrids to become more widespread. These cars are being produced in greater numbers but as is the case at Summit Point, many facilities are not yet equipped to handle the fire potential that these vehicles carry.
In addition to the facilities themselves, more track organizations will also likely enact some sort of ban on these vehicles to keep their members safe. The NCCC will not be alone. I know if I was at a track day and an EV or hybrid vehicle camped next to me in the pit area I would promptly relocate. I don’t want to risk my car or myself being engulfed in flames if there should be a battery fire.
Long Term
As the EV and hybrid becomes more and more common, there will be improvements to safety when dealing with these vehicles. That will likely lead to the lifting of these types of bans. However, there is no telling when that time will come. If you are considering purchasing a car for track duty we suggest you stick to old fashioned internal combustion. A 1975 Corvette with only 165 horsepower can lap faster than the new almighty Corvette E-Ray that isn’t allowed within 30 feet of a track.
Images: Chevrolet
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