Honda Hybrid Asked to Leave Formula 1000 for Being Too Fast

“Fast” and “hybrid” are words that once were not associated with each other. Now hybrid tech is being seen as a performance advantage, which is why Formula 1,000 organizers asked a Honda Insight to bow out for being too fast.

The car in question is the OakTec Honda Insight rally car, which has been competing in the Formula 1000 rally series since 2005 and captured the Class A championship in 2006. Aside from running game on rally racing, OakTec is also working on bio-fuels based on cow manure. The Insight raised quite a few eyebrows when it first entered, though the competition suited the Insight well. Formula 1000 is a racing series for cars powered by engines no bigger than 1,000 cc liter in size, so the Insight with its 67 horsepower 995 cc engine snuck in under the rules, despite the advantage of also having a 13 horsepower electric motor that could provide up to an extra 36 ft-lbs of torque.

That extra power was going to good use, especially this season. After the first three races, the OakTec Insight had taken home two first place finishes, and finished second in the only race they didn’t outright win. That put OakTec 19 points ahead of the competition, completely dominating the rankings to the point where Formula 1000 organizers asked the OakTec team to drop out of the series. Graciously thanking Formula 1000 for the chance to race, OakTec bowed out without a fuss. Point proven, if you ask me, though I would have liked to see the team be allowed to finish out the season.

Might this open up more racing options for hybrid car drivers? Maybe even a racing series strictly for hybrids? Once, such a notion would have made me laugh, but I don’t think the competition was laughing when a hybrid Honda trounced them soundly. Kind of makes me want to go a hybrid for the sole purpose of racing it. How about you?

Source: Inhabitat | OakTec

Chris DeMorro is a writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs. You can read about his slow descent into madness at Sublime Burnout or follow his non-nonsensical ramblings on Twitter @harshcougar.

MAKE SOLAR WORK FOR YOU!

Next, use your Solar Report to get the best quote!

Tags: Formula 1000, Honda Insight, Honda Insight race car, hybrid, hybrid too fast for race, Insight, OakTec, OakTec racing, race, rally car

About the Author

Christopher DeMorro A writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs, Chris can be found wrenching or writing- or esle, he's running, because he's one of those crazy people who gets enjoyment from running insane distances.

http://Web Nixon

To be fair to the other cars in the class, it really does severely bend (if not break) the rules to have a second power source on board. The classes are designed to put equivalently powered vehicles in classes where they race according to driver’s skills.

There needs to be some sort of solution where the EV motor gets a “cc equivalent” rating. So a 995 cc gas engine with a 13 hp would be given an additional 200 “cc equivalent” which would put it in whatever class a 1195 cc car would compete in.

That would make it fair for all drivers. I hate to see special hybrid races. They would forever be derided as a p^ssy class, even if the winning race speeds were faster than other gasser classes. It is better for hybrids to compete against (and hopefully beat) gas cars with similar power drivetrains.