The roar of a V8 engine and the smell of race fuel have long been the lifeblood of NASCAR. But now a proposed shift to electric power is drawing a line in the sand, and some of the sport’s biggest names are refusing to cross it.

NASCAR leader’s electric future comments heavily criticized

During a recent interview, NASCAR’s EVP John Probst detailed the sanctioning body’s goals for an electric future. Probst said that there is a balance between entertainment, sport, and ‘pure engineering’ in NASCAR.

“I think for us, I feel like we don’t need to be on the absolute bleeding edge of powertrain technology to be relevant to our OEMs and also be entertaining to our fans,” he said. Probst then spoke about the O’Reilly Series’ identity crisis, using that to introduce the electric CUV, showcased at Chicago in 2023.

“If you look at the brand identity of those three [national series], the O’Reilly Series struggles a little bit just from the car perspective, and you see it a lot because we refer to it often as whoever the entitlement sponsor is,” Probst said.

“Long term, you see it as we do, have that CUV body that we developed for our electric vehicle. So, you’d have a Truck, a CUV, and a Cup. That’s three very different bodies that are relevant for our OEMs today to create that brand identity for each series.”

Probst’s comments drew backlash from fans and insiders alike. Prominent figures like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin, and Parker Kligerman disagreed with NASCAR’s plans for an electric future.

Dale Jr. didn’t want a CUV in the Series and wrote, “I hope this never happens.”

Martin wasn’t happy with the announcement either and reacted with a facepalm emoji. When a fan begged Martin, Earnhardt Jr., and Hamlin to save the fans, the veteran wrote, “They say hope is not a strategy but that’s really all I’ve got for now.”

Meanwhile, Kligerman shared a long note on NASCAR’s plans to bring a CUV to the O’Reilly Series. He wondered whether NASCAR wants to continue changing every few years to the demands of the OEMs or develop a platform for an OEM-less future.

“Is that 10 years away? 20 years? Sprint cars, dirt late models etc are essentially this. Are they relevant technologically? No. Do they have a dedicated fan base? Yes,” he wrote.

Although Kligerman was open to the idea of Cup cars changing, he urged NASCAR to ‘keep one for your hardcore fan base.’

For the past few seasons, and especially this season, the O’Reilly Series has produced some of the best racing in NASCAR weekly. Earlier this season, Bristol’s viewership reflected this trend when the O’Reilly race registered historically high viewer numbers, while Sunday’s numbers continued to dwindle, as they have yearly for the Cup series.

Fans, former drivers, and insiders unanimously consider the O’Reilly Series one of the sport’s strongest products. Therefore, it makes sense that they are all against the sanctioning body’s idea to change it.

NASCAR being EV-friendly while OEMs take steps back is confusing

NASCAR indeed depends on the OEMs—Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota—regarding their stock cars. After all, the whole idea of a stock car ties into the mantra, “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday,” meaning a fan can buy a version of the winning car from a dealership.

But while NASCAR is working toward an electric future, the OEMs are backing out.

Speedway Digest’s post shared an update on X that all three OEM brands have taken a step back regarding their electric programs: “Ford is moving away from EVs and took a $19b write down, GM took about $6b as a write down on their program. RAM admitted people want V8s hence their branding and return to NASCAR. Toyota moved closer to hybrids vs EVs.”

This is highly confusing. So, when the OEMs aren’t being EV-bullish, and fans, insiders, and team owners are against the idea of EVs, why is NASCAR still pushing for an electric future?

Let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments.