You just spent big money to purchase a new 2024 E-Ray Corvette.
You can’t wait to get it out on the racetrack to see what that 655 horsepower can really do when pushed to the limit. But there is a problem.
Your new six-figure E-Ray is not welcomed on the racetrack. In fact, you can’t even park it near the track, or any of its buildings or any other cars.
The National Council of Corvette Clubs (NCCC) has recently updated its 2022 – 2023 competition rule book.
And one of the updates is to ban all EVs and hybrid vehicles from all track competitions.

Section 1.8.1 item 14 reads:

Electric Vehicles/Hybrids using lithium type battery packs are prohibited in competitive events. If driven to NCCC events, they should be parked 30 feet minimum from structures or other vehicles.

And the NCCC is not alone. Summit Point Motorsports Park is a popular racetrack in West Virginia. It is about a ten-hour drive from Bowling Green, Kentucky.
As recently reported by Grassroots Motorsports, Summit Point has also enacted a ban on EVs and hybrids.
Edwin Pardue, Director of Motorsports Operations at Summit Point Motorsports Park, said in part:

Summit Point Motorsports Park’s decision to take a “tactical pause” in halting the use of electric and hybrid electric vehicles in all motorsports disciplines at our location is purely based on ensuring we establish an EMS response policy and procedure based on technical knowledge provided by the electric and hybrid electric vehicle industry community to better support the motorsport's community.

There is no word on how long this ban will last.
But if you are a track junkie, you probably want to stick to a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle for the foreseeable future.
Most EVs & hybrids today use lithium-ion batteries. That includes the new Corvette E-Ray.
If there is a component failure with the battery, or it is damaged during a crash, this can cause a fire.
A fire from a high-voltage battery poses additional risks when compared to a traditional gasoline fire.

The damaged cells in the battery can experience uncontrolled increases in temperature and pressure, called thermal runaway. This can lead to the fire reigniting after the flames were put out and everyone thought the condition was under control. In addition, there are risks of electric shock when dealing with these types of incidents.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) released a statement a couple of years ago highlighting the risks with these vehicles. Having these running at high speed on a racetrack only increases the risk. That is why these bans are being put in place.

In the short term, we expect racetrack bans on EVs and hybrids to become more widespread.
These cars are being produced in greater numbers but as is the case at Summit Point, many facilities are not yet equipped to handle the fire potential that these vehicles carry.

In addition to the facilities themselves, more track organizations will also likely enact some sort of ban on these vehicles to keep their members safe.
The NCCC will not be alone. I know if I was at a track day and an EV or hybrid vehicle camped next to me in the pit area, I would promptly relocate. I don’t want to risk my car or myself being engulfed in flames if there should be a battery fire.

As the EV and hybrid becomes more and more common, there will be improvements to safety when dealing with these vehicles. That will likely lead to the lifting of these types of bans.
However, there is no telling when that time will come. If you are considering purchasing a car for track duty, we suggest you stick to old-fashioned internal combustion.

Every Friday, the Texas Motor Speedway hosts an event in coordination with Universal Technical Institute (UTI) called Friday Night Drags: an eighth-mile sprint where participants can earn awards and look to take home the divisional crown after six weeks of bracketing.
Anyone can partake, as long as they're not driving an electric car.

As it turns out, UTI Friday Night Drags has decided to ban electric vehicles from competing in the racing festivities.
Despite what many will say, event officials claim it isn't because of a perceived acceleration advantage, but because of the risk of somewhat uncontrollable battery fires.

Event organizers for the Texas Motor Speedway simply don't have the means to combat an electric vehicle fire should a catastrophic accident occur.
“The reason for the exclusion is, in the event of a crash and possible resulting fire, our emergency vehicles currently do not carry the specific equipment required to suppress EV fires," said Texas Motor Speedway VP of Public Relations David Hart.
"As I’m sure you’re aware, conventional extinguishers are of no use in fighting lithium-ion battery fires.”

As Hart mentions, a battery fire can be much more complex to extinguish than a traditional vehicle fire. Should a lithium-ion cell be punctured in an accident and go up in flames, emergency crews face the possibility of the vehicle re-igniting for up to 48 hours after the initial event occurred. Because of this, it has become an increasingly common procedure to submerge EVs in vats of water following a fire for 24 hours or more to prevent conditions such as thermal runaway.


Summit Point Motorsports Park
recently announced that both all-electric and hybrid vehicles are no longer permitted in motorsport activities, on its grounds:
Our commitment to the safety of participants, clients, spectators, and employees at Summit Point Motorsports Park is an ongoing process. Best practices are continually scrutinized and revised.

Upon review of SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) document J2990 and NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) document 70 and in consideration of the requirements specifically requested by event organizers, we have halted the use of Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicles in all motorsports disciplines.

This decision was not taken lightly, and we endeavor to better understand, support, and develop policies to meet industry best practices for emergency support and response requirements related to Electric and Hybrid Electric Vehicles.

As of April 7, we now have a new statement from Edwin Pardue, Director of Motorsports Operations at Summit Point Motorsports Park:
Summit Point supports the growth of Electric and Hybrid vehicles in motorsports.

Summit Point Motorsports Park’s decision to take a “tactical pause” in halting the use of electric and hybrid electric vehicles in all motorsports disciplines at our location is purely based on ensuring we establish an EMS response policy and procedure based on technical knowledge provided by the electric and hybrid electric vehicle industry community to better support the motorsports' community.

To our knowledge, Industry best practices supporting emergency response procedures to electric and hybrid electric vehicles in motorsports are under development. We hope to be a front-runner in development of the industry standard to ensure that we can support a safer response to all stakeholders in the future.