NASCAR shows interest in a flying car racing series

US Air Force Photo by Master Sgt. Robert W. Valenca

    The concept of flying cars, something that has often been envisioned as a major player in the a 'futuristic' or 'Utopian' society surprisingly could be a potential avenue for the future of NASCAR racing. The sanctioning body of the predominantly American stock car racing division made their interest clear, as they recently bounced the question off of their 'fan council'.

The NASCAR 'fan council' is a group of selected individuals which helps NASCAR collect statistics, data and opinions about the fan base. In past scenarios the NASCAR sanctioning body has used the fan council to gauge audience interest about certain changes to the sport, and have even used the collected data to support controversial adjustments.

While you certainly should not expect to tune in the NASCAR on FOX or NBC next season and see flying race cars on your television screen, it very well could be possible in that 10-15 years NASCAR could begin to step in that direction. Doing so would rely on data obtained about their audience (like the fan council) as well as insights to how much an endeavor like this may cost. 

Before NASCAR steps in this direction, they ought to be certain that it is viable. Is NASCAR alone in their interest though? To a certain extent, no.

Recently Airspeeder has been developing a 'flying car' racing series of their own called the "EXA" Series, and surprisingly their development has been decently effective. Albeit still in the works, the EXA series will feature human piloted drone hovercraft, reaching speeds upward of 100 mph. This series currently in development by Airspeeder certainly appears to be going well, and could see sanctioned racing in the next few years. NASCAR on the other hand is much further away from such feats.

Photo Coutesy of Alauda Aeronautics

The issue that may arise for NASCAR is the audience. NASCAR's fan base is one that often appreciates tradition, and at the very least is already accustomed to the kind of race cars that they have seen on track in past 20-30 years. To interest a large number of the fan base could be a lengthy and difficult effort. They will need to know their audience stands today, and how much it may be apt to change. These are all figures that can be discovered through data collection groups like the NASCAR 'fan council'. 

It's glaringly obvious that this article is all conjecture and full of 'what if's'. That's because NASCAR's sanctioning body has only inquired upon this avenue, and to our knowledge has nothing in the works as of yet. That's not to say that under correct circumstances that this questionable idea couldn't become a reality, but more upon the fact that right now is not the time. 

NASCAR's inquiry is interesting and is something to keep an eye on as the sport progresses.

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