In an all-electric racing series on the horizon for NASCAR?
On the latest episode of the Flagrant podcast, UFC CEO Dana White says that his company, Thrill One Sports & Entertainment, which owns properties such as Nitro Circus, Nitrocross, and Street League Skateboarding, is set to do a deal this Summer to make it a reality.
“We own Nitro Circus, and we own Travis Pastrana’s Nitrocross, which is electric car racing,” White said. “After Fourth of July, I’m flying to NASCAR and we’re doing a deal with NASCAR. We’re going to be the electric series for NASCAR. We’re working on that deal, right now.”
Developed by former NASCAR Xfinity Series driver and renowned stuntman Travis Pastrana, Nitrocross (formerly known as Nitro Rallycross) made its debut in 2021 using exclusively internal combustion engines, before pivoting into electric vehicle racing for the 2022 season.
The series utilizes a battery-powered SUV platform called the FC1-X, developed by First Corner — a joint venture between QEV Technologies and Olsbergs MSE. The project has since received manufacturer support from the likes of Ford, Subaru, and Volkswagen.
Nitrocross has featured several cameos from NASCAR or NASCAR-adjacent drivers since its inception in 2021, including Kyle Busch, Chase Elliott, Austin Cindric, Sage Karam, Scott Speed, Conor Daly, and others.
This isn’t the first time we’re hearing about an electric vehicle in NASCAR, though.
Earlier this season, NASCAR planned to host a demonstration of its brand-new electric vehicle prototype with David Ragan at the LA Memorial Coliseum. However, when NASCAR had to alter schedules due to substantial flooding approaching the area, that demonstration was dropped.
The semi-retired NASCAR Cup Series driver also got the opportunity to make roughly 350 laps in the prototype at Martinsville Speedway, as part of a December testing session.
When speaking to the media in advance of the Daytona 500, Ragan said: “I’m sure it can go 200mph. I will tell you that the acceleration coming off the corner at Martinsville when the torque and power’s turned up, I’ve never felt acceleration like that in my life. That’s the fastest I’ve ever accelerated because of the all-wheel drive and the torque.”
As of right now, there are no concrete details surrounding the partnership between Dana White (Nitrocross) and NASCAR, nor are there details about the potential of an all-electric series being formed by the sanctioning body.
TobyChristie.com has reached out to NASCAR to request a comment on the matter, but no answer has been received as of the time of publishing. Any response from the sanctioning body will be added to this story, as an update.
