History
Electric Formula Cars recently picked up a Dallara 2001 IRL car for conversion to electric power. The car has the number IR1 014.
It was originally raced by Eddie Cheever and was used to win the 2001 Kansas IRL IndyCar race.
It was then updated to the 2002 spec and used to come fifth in the Indy 500.
The Infiniti motor produced 780 hp and the car had a top speed of 232 mph.
Modifications
Our aim is to use an electric motor with a maximum output of 1000 hp so it can be run with spare capacity in race trim and turned up for qualifying. We are currently investigating a system whereby three 335hp units can be assembled on a single spindle, but we will research a variety of combinations to see what is the best option.
We do not believe that the motor will be the restriction, but rather the size and weight of batteries. As the technology is continually improving our philosophy will be that nothing is impossible but rather we just don’t know how to do it YET!. This is part of the excitement as we achieve greater performance and range. The original purpose of motor racing was to drive the improvement of technology rather than solely to see who was the fastest driver.
We take inspiration from Henry Ford’s comment "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday". For us, this is a continuous journey, rather than being a chase for a single championship in one year.
If you consider "how many times should a child fall before it stops trying to walk?", the answer is NEVER! It keeps going until it succeeds. That’s how we feel about this project.
