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When you think about NASCAR, electric trucks probably don’t come to mind. However, the Ford F-150 Lightning is about to change things. Stay tuned as the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning serves as the first electric truck to be an official pace car around NASCAR tracks. 

The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning joins NASCAR 

2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Nascar Pace Car parked near Ford HQ
2022 Ford F-150 Lightning Nascar Pace Car | Ford

We hope the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning is prepared to enter NASCAR stadiums because if you aren’t first, you’re last. But the F-150 Lightning keeps becoming the first truck to achieve various things and has a striking acceleration speed, so it probably isn’t worried. 

According to Ford Authority, the F-150 Lightning will serve as the first electric pace pickup truck during this weekend’s NASCAR race at Martinville Speedway, April 7 – 9. This event is also celebrating the 75th anniversary across all top three NASCAR touring series. 

Things kick off with the Camping World Truck Series on Thursday at 8 p.m. EST. Then the NASCAR Xfinity Series race will take place on Friday, and NASCAR Cup Series is scheduled for Saturday. Both of these races start at 7:30 p.m. EST. 

Do electric Ford vehicles have a NASCAR history? 

Yes, another electric Ford model was a pace car for NASCAR before the 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning. You may have seen the fully electric Ford Mustang Mach-E circle the track a few times. 

When the Mach-E paced at the Talladega Superspeedway last April, it drew a lot of attention to electric SUVs. However, the Ford Focus EV was the first electric pace car to serve Nascar at the field in Richmond, Virginia bach in 2022. 

Jeanna Kirkaldy, Motorsports Marketing Manager, Ford Performance, shared that Ford is fully invested in electrification. The response to the Ford F-150 Lightning has been so overwhelming that bringing the truck to NASCAR was an easy decision. 

She shared that Ford definitely knows that its fans love trucks, and it’s confident that the feeling will only grow when they see the Lightning out on the track, leading the field to green. 

Speaking of trucks, the Ford F-150 Raptor was the official pace truck at the Ford EcoBoost 400 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series in 2016. So, NASCAR is going from a monster gas-powered truck to an electric one. 

How fast is the Ford F-150 Lightning? 

A blue 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck is driving on the road.
The 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning | Ford

The standard 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning model comes with two electric motors and all-wheel drive. With the Standard-Range battery, you get 426 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque. You can upgrade to the Extended-Range battery for 563 hp and 775 lb-ft of torque. 

When equipped with the Extended-Range battery, the Ford F-150 Lightning can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4.5 seconds. It has a top speed of 110 mph. It’s the most powerful F-150 to ever come from Ford. 

The F-150 Lightning can tow up to 10,000 lbs and carry a payload of up to 2,000 lbs. You need the Extended-Range Battery and Max Trailer package to achieve these figures. You can tow up to 7,700 lbs and carry a payload of up to 2,000 lbs with the Standard-Rang battery. 

With a range of up to 320 miles, the F-150 Lightning will be able to circle the track plenty of times. We can’t wait to watch it make racing history.

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Allison Barfield

Allison Barfield joined MotorBiscuit in 2020 and covers all things trucks, SUVs, and Jeeps. Having grown up on a farm in Rock Hill, South Carolina, she’s no stranger to the “Best in Class” truck and SUV debates; people in her hometown were always gathering to help work on vehicles together, and deliberation would naturally arise.

Allison graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in Media Arts. She has helped bring awareness to issues Women In Trucking face and has promoted Truckers Against Trafficking, an anti-trafficking NGO.

A fan of creatively dark literature, Allison appreciates the works of Shirley Jackson and Emily Dickenson. She lives in a mountainous area of the country and enjoys off-roading and camping. Her dog, Bruce, often joins her in testing trucks and SUVs for our site.