You know what they say Yankee ingenuity can accomplish. Here’s some amazing proof of that capability, a full-on pavement Late Model that has an entirely electric powertrain, something that would be ideal for the paved bullrings that dot New England. The Late Model is out of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, the home to such local luminaries as Reino Tulonen, Ron and Kenny Bouchard, “The Travelin’ Man” Peter Fiandaca and Jean Michaud. Fitchburg is also home to the Maki family, which has been active in New England motorsport since they sponsored the cutdown of their fellow Finn, Tulonen, going back to the 1950s.
Jay Maki, seen here in his Late Model in New Hampshire, is a scion of the family and more than your typical backyard racer. He has engineered this Late Model himself with a battery electric powertrain, eliminating the snarling V-8 entirely. There is a strong likelihood that American short-track racing will be running something similar to this in coming year, a transition that Maki, from his Fitchburg shop, wants to assist. Part of that effort involves displaying the EV Late Model at the PRI – remember, I’m one of their authors – and SEMA trade shows that are the largest in private industry stateside. To get the car to the PRI show in Indianapolis and the big SEMA blowout in Las Vegas, Maki has established a GoFundMe page, to which you can donate and promote this coming advance in grassroots American motorsport.
Jim Donnelly On Wheels 