Less than a year after the groundbreaking ceremony for a 25-acre solar array, the 3 megawatt ground-mount photovoltaic solar energy system at Pocono Raceway is online and tied into the grid, giving up enough juice for the whole racetrack and 1,000 nearby homes. In true NASCAR fashion, they went big with a solar installation the folks at Pocono say you can see from space.

With 40,000 photovoltaic modules installed by enXco in a former parking lot adjacent to the 2.5 mile track, the folks at Pocono Raceway claim their track is the world’s largest solar-powered sports facility. We suspect the ancient Greeks might disagree — there certainly weren’t any coal-fired power plants at the Olympics back in the year 776 B.C.

NASCAR estimates that the solar array will produce 72 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy over the next 20 years, enough to offset more than 3,100 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.

That’s some serious green cred, but don’t expect to see Jeff Gordon dropping DuPont sponsorship for Burt’s Bees any time soon. The solar array was originally a response to deregulation of the local power industry — which track officials estimate would’ve raised the track’s electric bill by 40%.

They got a sweet deal. Pocono now has a sustainable source of energy that they can re-sell at a profit to local utilities once the bills on the installation (estimated at $17 million) are paid.

Photo: NASCAR

The world’s coolest electric car was ready to roll. The battery was charged. The software was updated. The tires were fresh. But all that leading-edge tech was undone by the most mundane of parts.

The tie rods.

Mike North and his crew discovered the rods were buggered while checking the alignment. No problem, North thought, we’ve got spares.

They didn’t fit.

The clock was ticking. North had booked Infineon Raceway north of San Francisco for one hour to give E-Rod a shakedown. Phil Sadow, the electrical engineer responsible for making the 1933 Ford run, grabbed a chop saw and set to work.

“We’ve got 26 minutes,” North said as sparks flew from the saw. “Tell me we’ll be ready.”

Sadow leaned into the saw, willing it to cut faster. After what seemed an eternity, the blade cut through the rod. One down. One to go.

“Is it gonna work?” North said. “Tell me it’s gonna work.”

The saw cut through the second rod. Sadow eyeballed the parts. They weren’t pretty, but they’d do.

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s gonna work.”

Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.com

NASCAR is BIG. Internationally, its races are broadcast in over 150 countries and hold 17 of the top 20 attended single-day sporting events in the world. Now, it’s about to get bigger. Danica Patrick has announced a two-year contract to try NASCAR for JR Motorsports.
The 2010 AutoShow will mark the debut of NASCAR RaceDay, a skill testing challenge pitting you vs other racers guiding remote controlled mini NASCAR vehicles around a well known Oval Track. Participants are set in front of a 20’ x 20’ track with a steering wheel and gear shifter. The challenge? Manoeuvre the vehicle around the track as quickly as possible.
The 20’ x 20’ exhibit space creates an attention-getting presence and will be paired with big screens playing highlights from the greatest NASCAR races, including the Daytona 500. Prizes will be awarded after each race. See it all on the 800 Level of the South Building.