Smokin' Buckeye set to Demo at Mid-Ohio (Electric CAR)

OSU SMOKIN' BUCKEYE TO DEBUT NEW LOOK AT MID-OHIO

The Ohio State University Formula Lightning electric race car, Smokin' Buckeye, will debut a new paint scheme at the 2.4-mile Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course during the Valvoline Runoffs. The Smokin' Buckeye will be on track to demonstrate electric race car technology during the lunch break between races on October 9, 10 and 11.

The car will once again be piloted by 1990 Formula Ford 2000 Runoffs National Champion Craig Taylor. Since 1994, Taylor and the Ohio State team have captured 10 wins in 14 races and three consecutive ABB University Spec Series Championships. The Buckeyes scored their most recent victory at the SCCA South Haven Sprints at GingerMan Raceway in August. The Ohio State vehicle also boasts the distinction of an unofficial top speed record for cars of its class with a mark of 144 mph set in July during testing at the Transportation Research Center in East Liberty, Ohio.

The Runoffs demonstration will mark the on track debut of a new silver and black livery for the OSU student project. The new paint scheme, which is accented with yellow and red, will make the car very visible on the track and was made possible by main sp onsor Shoemaker Industrial Solutions, PPG and the PacWest Racing Group Champ Car team.

The SCCA Valvoline Runoffs has evolved into what is now commonly agreed to be the Super Bowl of amateur road racing. This event brings a long history to the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course with 1998 being the 35th edition of the National Championships. More than 600 drivers are competing for National Championship medals in 24 different classes. The long list of past National Champions reads like a "who's who" of motor racing. Bobby Rahal, Jimmy Vasser, Scott Sharp, Elliott Forbes Robinson, Skip Barber, and Paul Newman have all used their wins as stepping stones in their careers. The Runoffs will be aired live October 9-11 on the Speedvision Network beginning at 1:30 PM EDT each day.

The electric car team, along with four other OSU student engineering project teams is also a part of the new Ohio State Motorsports program which links alumni involved in professional motorsports with the academic and business functions of the university. A portion of the proceeds from a full range of products, including apparel and vehicle replicas of the NHRA Top Fuel dragster, ARCA Super Car, and NASCAR Craftsman truck in Ohio State livery will benefit the OSU Center for Automotive Research and studen t project teams.