Dale Earnhardt Jr., Elton Sawyer discuss major hurdle for new manufacturers joining NASCAR
It feels like there is a lot of talk about new manufacturers coming to NASCAR. Dale Earnhardt Jr. got into the conversation with Elton Sawyer. The NASCAR executive seems to believe potential OEMs are very much interested in joining the sport.
However, there are caveats. Certain caveats that many purist fans are probably not going to like, ultimately. The future is trending towards hybrid cars. If NASCAR is supposed to be true to stock car racing, wouldn’t it make sense for cars and engines to reflect that change in the market?
Things aren’t going to change overnight. But Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke with Elton Sawyer about what the future might look like on the Dale Jr. Download.
“We need a platform that will invite some new OEMs to come and participate,” Sawyer explained. “They love the Next Gen car. The one thing they’re not going to do, is they’re not going to build a V8, pushrod engine. So, we have to continue to develop and look at different platforms and options that will be inviting to those OEMs.”
Honda has been named as a potential addition. Hyundai was even named in recent days by a former Toyota executive. Whoever the new OEMs are, they are not going to build a V8 engine. It’s not going to happen.
“The conversations that our folks, John Probst in [development] and that group have had, that’s [a V8 pushrod engine] a dealbreaker right there. Where when Toyota came in, they actually didn’t have that engine and developed it and built it for the trucks. So, kudos to them that’s just not the world we live in today.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Elton Sawyer talk about hybrid systems
The new manufacturer would have a different power supply. There could be a bit of difference between the manufacturers when it comes to the power supplies they use. Much like IMSA, the sports car series owned by NASCAR.
“They’re on a different, they’re turbocharged. So, we’ve got to be prepared from the sanctioning body, similar to our sister company at IMSA, and how does balance of performance work?” Sawyer said. For 75-plus years we’ve raced the same type of engines, naturally aspirated, carburetors, cubic inches are all right there.
“So, from an officiating standpoint, that’s been fairly easy to police. When you venture into the balance of performance and torque sensors and horsepower and torque at the rear tire, that’s a different way to police your sport. We’re going to have to figure out how that looks to be able to, again, get new OEMs to come in.”
OEMs like the Next Gen car. I think they see a platform that can be malleable and a low cost relatively to get into. Elton Sawyer seems to be telling Dale Earnhardt Jr. the same thing.
“I think the Next Gen car has helped us from that aero side of it to keep all three [current OEMs] in the same box,” Sawyer explained. “So, we would have to venture in those steps on the engine architecture side to be able to do that same thing. That will be challenging but it will take all of our partners on the OEM side to do that.”
While change is coming, it appears to be a few years away, at least. As long as the V8 engine is the go-to in NASCAR, those new OEMs will not be getting involved. When they do get into the sport, NASCAR could be a little different than it is now.