SCCA® Road Racing has a storied, grassroots tradition of choppin’ production cars to construct competition vehicles. A chop-top Tesla, however, is pretty rare. Nonetheless, that’s exactly what Bruce Richardson of SCCA’s San Francisco Region did while exploring electric vehicle racing with the Sports Car Club of America.
It was a decade ago when Richardson, a retired mechanical engineer, began playing with the concept of electric motors in race cars. He worked on projects that included a Spec Racer® Ford chassis, as well as a Sports Racer. Unfortunately, those proved to be not commercially feasible at the time.
In 2023, Richardson gave it another go as development of commercial EV platforms had advanced greatly. What he ended up with was a super-cool, altered Tesla that hustled around Laguna Seca in the Electric Modified 1 class at SCCA Regional meets.
“For me, I’m forward thinking and a guy who likes doing things different,” Richardson said about exploring the EV landscape. “I love doing something new and different. It’s like a clean sheet of paper where the rules are pretty open. I’m going out there trying to come up with something that is fast and fun.”
Tearing Apart a Tesla
Richardson’s creation was based on Tesla’s Model 3 Performance platform, an all-wheel-drive vehicle that features a small motor at the front and a larger one at the rear. That car costs about $55,000 brand-new but can be found for less than $15,000 at salvage. Since Richardson didn’t need a whole Tesla, a less-than-perfect vehicle with frame, drivetrain, suspension, motors, and battery intact worked just fine.
This particular build started by cutting off the body and roof, as well as stripping out all unnecessary parts. A fiberglass Camaro stockcar body was added, as well as all the required safety equipment and competition accoutrements. When all was said and done, Richardson’s Franken-Tesla came in more than 1,000 pounds lighter than stock.
The project included significant modifications that enhanced cooling systems to address heating problems commonly experienced with EV motors and batteries. Added to the front was a second radiator and front motor cooler. A big oil cooler was also added for the rear motor, and front-brake cooling was enhanced with ducts and baffles.
“We actually had the car running pretty damn well where you don’t have to worry about it over heating stuff,” Richardson said. “It’s the fastest car I’ve ever been in, and I’ve had some pretty fast Corvettes.”
The modifications allowed Richardson’s car to last the duration of a 30-minute road race without motors or the battery going into limp mode. Acceleration remained impressive with 0-60 mph attainable in under 3 seconds. A lap around Laguna Seca’s 2.2-mile circuit could be completed in only 95 seconds, and probably less with more testing.
Next Steps
Drawing upon what he has learned, Richardson is preparing for his next build. For starters, he now knows a salvaged Tesla in the United States no longer has Supercharger access at power stations unless the manufacturer conducts battery analysis. With Supercharger permission, the race car can be fully powered up in only 45 minutes. Without Supercharger access, that time is increased to nearly five hours.
This explains why Richardson’s first build is now being used north of the border by fellow EV explorer Jerry Kroll. Regulations are different in Canada, where third-party Supercharging is available to salvaged vehicles. But another recovered Tesla is already on Richardson’s radar, which he’s looking forward to choppin’ up once again. Additional upgrades will be made, a different body style fitted, and a path devised to help others convert Teslas into race cars. The endgame is the creation of an economically viable kit that will be offered commercially to the public.
“Personally, I really do think this is the future,” Richardson stated. “There will always be gas car racing as far as I can tell, but in the future, things will eventually shift to electric cars and I’d rather be doing things for the future rather than the past.”
SCCA Energizes Future by Drawing on Past
Today’s EV exploration is very much akin to the old-school, grassroots development that has powered motorsports and SCCA for 80 years. Guiding current and future exploration is SCCA’s Electrified Vehicle Advisory Committee (EVAC).
EVAC helms creation of unified procedures for EV usage across multiple SCCA disciplines. Be it SCCA Road Racing, Time Trials, Solo, RallyCross®, HillClimb, or RoadRally, the Committee created a 23-page Supplemental Common Rules for Electrified Vehicles (SCREV) document.
SCREV outlines common safety and training baselines for all EVs across various SCCA programs. It acts as an additional set of rules laying out required elements that ensure the safety of all drivers, volunteers, and track workers when EVs are involved at events.
More about SCREV guidelines can be learned by clicking the link below.
Photos courtesy Bruce Richardson
