It was the missing link between Formula student and what we know today as Formula E, although too ahead of its time to maximise the marketing potential.
The Formula Lightning series was contrived by a University Consortium in 1994 under the relatively simple premise of creating an Electric Car Racing series as a competitive platform for the development of electric-powered automotive-type propulsion systems – sound familiar?
Specifically arranged to attract electrical engineering minds from top U.S. universities, each running spec chassis and electric drivetrains. However unlike the student formula we see today, the series was sanctioned by SCCA Pro Racing (the national NAMARS sanctioning group took over the sanctioning body in late 1999), which required all drivers to hold a SCCA license.
Usually races saw between eight and twelve college teams competing and featured Kettering University, Bowling Green State University, Indiana/Purdue University Indianapolis, University of Oklahoma, University of Notre Dame, Brigham Young University, Ohio State University, Ohio University, West Virginia University and Wright State University.
The burgeoning series was run over half a dozen races across the country, at tracks like Indianapolis Raceway Park, Burke Lakefront Airport (Cleveland), Gingerman Raceway (Michigan), and Firebird Raceway (Phoenix). Races ran between fifteen and thirty minutes, with longer races necessitating a pit-stop. Without the professional budget to field
four cars (as in Formula E), teams were required to swap batteries – not drivers – during their pit-stops, with an emphasis on mechanics playing a large part of race outcomes. The first Formula Lightening race supported the Grand Prix of Cleveland CART race.
Looking like a cross between a circa 1990 Formula Ford and an Indy roadster, Formula Lightening cars were capable of speeds up to whopping speeds of 140mph (236 km/ph), with the Ohio State team recording a record 147mph in a flying-mile run in 2000.
Power was delivered from an electrical motor system powered by 32, 12-volt batteries (housed in the car’s sidepods), putting out around 350 volts. To put that into perspective, that’s around a third of that deployed by current Formula E cars.
Additionally, batteries were often cumbersome and weighed a massive
Formula E requirements). Despite the heavy lifting required to change batteries, pit crews could still extract and replace the batteries in less than 30 seconds, the feat almost requiring its own billing on the event!