With a record year, literally, for Drayson Racing Technologies in 2013, this new year has seen a welcome successful start for the aspiring company and future Formula E contending team.
Honoured with awards and industry recognition, Lord Drayson finally received his World Electric Land Speed Record certificate and Drayson Racing Technologies was presented with the Motorsport Industry Association’s (MIA) Business Excellence for Technology & Innovation Award at the appropriately titled MIA Business Excellence Awards dinner.
Additionally, Lord Drayson was a keynote speaker at the MIA International Low Carbon Racing Conference, joining in the discussion about the future of electric race cars such as his own and Formula E, plus other interesting topics for debate. The sell-out event, which AutoVolt Magazine attended, took place at the NEC in Birmingham and had the record-breaking Drayson B12/69 EV as one of the display highlights alongside the electric Formula Student car which won the 2013 overall competition, outright, against other entrants powered by internal combustion engines.
The World Electric Land Speed Record certificate from the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), signed by FIA President Mr. Jean Todt, and from the Motor Sports Association was finally given to Lord Drayson too. The certificate was presented to the Lord at the Autosport International Show (AIS) by MSA Chairman Mr. Alan Gow, just after the MIA event held the evening before.
The presentations mark the final official acknowledgement of the World Electric Land Speed Record breaking runs at Elvington Airfield in Yorkshire last year, when the Drayson Racing Technologies-developed Drayson B12/69 EV recorded an average speed of 205.139mph over the measured mile and 333.271 kph over the measured kilometre, for electric vehicles under 1,000 kilos.
What’s more, this speed also represents a new British Land Speed Record over the measured mile, for cars of any propulsion type driven by their wheels (i.e. rocket power not included). With Lord Drayson at the wheel, the Kidlington-based Drayson Racing team set a new World Electric Record from a standing start over a quarter mile with a time of 9.742 seconds and an average speed of 92.383mph.
Lord Drayson commented:
“We’re very pleased and honoured that 2013’s achievements have been recognised. The company is now looking to the future and working on the next challenges, both in terms of motorsport with Formula E and with exciting breakthrough technologies such as wireless charging. Working closely with our partners and sponsors such as our wireless charging partner Qualcomm Halo will ensure that Drayson Racing Technologies continues to blaze a trail in 2014.”
Lastly, 2013 saw the announcement of Drayson Racing Technologies as one of the inaugural ten teams to participate in Formula E – the world’s first electric only racing event endorsed by the FIA. Drayson Racing is set to compete against some of the most respected names in motorsport including Super Aguri, Andretti Racing and Audi Sport ABT.
Source; Drayson Racing Technologies press release
