Aftermarket Leads: ALMS, IMSA: Racing's Future Is Electric

Aftermarket Leads

January 17, 2012 5:43 am

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ALMS, IMSA: Racing's Future Is Electric

Just the Facts:

• A joint venture has been formed to pursue the creation of electric racing cars.
• The American Le Mans Series and IMSA are partnering with Quimera of Barcelona, Spain.
• Quimera’s primary mission is the management of sustainable energy projects in urban areas.

BRASELTON, Georgia — Two American sports car racing organizations have joined forces with Quimera, an ensemble focused on new-generation transportation and mobility solutions, to lead auto racing into its next era — which, they contend, will be based on electric vehicles.

The American Le Mans Series and IMSA, acronym for International Motor Sports Association, announced the joint venture Thursday to “develop the next generation of sustainable motorsport.”

Quimera, a word from Greek mythology which like its synonym “chimera” means “illusion,” is made up of various multinational corporations concerned with the management of sustainable projects in metropolitan and urban areas. It is headquartered in Barcelona, Spain.

The two racing organizations are working with Quimera toward the objective of organizing a global championship using racecars that do not run on fossil fuels. Research and development efforts are focusing on four areas — GT, Touring GT, F3 type open-wheel and TTXGP motorcycle.

“We have often quoted the fact that the most important race in the world is the race among automobile manufacturers to develop new sustainable transportation solutions,” ALMS President and CEO Scott Atherton said.

Atherton stressed the commitment of ALMS to green racing. Sports car racing has led the way in the modern era in exploring alternative technologies, and turbodiesel-powered prototypes fielded by Audi and Peugeot have risen to the top of the heap.

Mitsubishi is among the auto manufacturers that have expressed keen interest in electric racecars, and Formula 1′s governing body, the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile, announced in April 2011 it is working with representatives of the European Commission to develop a racing series for electric vehicles.

In America, the Izod IndyCar Series converted several years ago to ethanol fuel. NASCAR is now using a blend of gasoline and ethanol.

Inside Line says: Hard-core traditionalists will likely scoff at this “illusion” of technological magic. While a definitive answer may be a long time coming, skeptics should remember the attitude toward the first “horseless carriages” of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

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ALMS, IMSA: Racing’s Future Is Electric