If you want to see the Ford F-150 Lightning in action, you'll get the chance next weekend as the highly anticipated electric version of the F-150 will serve as pace car at a NASCAR race in Martinsville.
Ford made the official announcement today via a statement. It’s a smart piece of marketing, since the series' races are broadcast across the United States, and we can all enjoy the sharp contrast between the all-electric pickup and the big-ICE racing cars that will have to follow its lead.
Now, that scene of an electric model pacing a race that goes through gasoline like there’s no tomorrow may seem out of whack, but you should know that NASCAR is currently exploring the possibility of launching another series, this time composed of all-electric models.
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Jeannee Kirkaldy, director of motorsports marketing for the Ford Performance Division, had this to say about bringing the Ford F-150 Lightning to a NASCAR race:
“Ford is fully invested in electrification and the response to Lightning has been so overwhelming that it was an easy decision to bring it to a NASCAR event. One thing we definitely know is that our fans love trucks and we’re confident that feeling will only grow when they see Lightning out on the track leading the field to green.”
- Jeannee Kirkaldy, Motorsports Marketing Director, Ford Performance Division
Actually, it’s not even the first time Ford has used electric vehicles at NASCAR races. Back in 2012, the electric Focus was chosen to be a pace car, and more recently the Mustang Mach-E SUV had the same honour.
The irony is that one day, when the racing series will be predominantly electric, they may bring back a classic, gasoline-powered model to take the vehicles to the green flag.
In the meantime, you can be sure that many will be checking out the F-150 Lightning next weekend. It's scheduled to hit the market later this year and, yes, the order book for it is full. Ford even decided to double production along the way to keep up with demand.
See also: Ford F-150 Lightning: 10 Things Worth Knowing