The Brawner-Hawk EX-11 Electric Indycar (1985 Lola T-900) was converted to electric power by Tommy Brawner at the same shop and on the same table that Clint Brawner Tommy’s cousin built Mario Andretti’s 1969 INDY 500 winning car.
It was lapped by Scott Brayton and Michael Roe no relation to Billy Roe at INDY and also driven by Spike Gehlhausen and Robby Unser for Ron Hemelgarn. The car was radically redesigned by Tommy Brawner in 1992 to fit a 180 volt DC GE electric motor. Equipped with a $1 million dollar electronic package funded by Motorola, Arizona Public Service and Exide batteries, it has a purpose built controller and quick disconnect battery packs in the side pods. Powered by 16, 12V lead acid batteries wired in series for 192 volts it was driven by INDY 500 veteran and former Clint Brawner crew member Billy Roe.
The car was undefeated in competition. The Prohibitive favorite at every event during the first EV development period in the mid nineties, the EX-11 won the prestigious Arizona Public Service “Solar and Electric 500”s in 1993 1994 and 1995 at Phoenix International Raceway twice and was the first EV on the planet to go over 100MPH (100.253) March 6th 1993 then set a lap record of 107.16 MPH on the Phoenix mile.
Billy Roe won a Brawner team podium sweep at the CART Longbeach GP support event in 1993 and then became the first driver/car to lap the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in an electric vehicle, the morning of the 1993 INDY 500.
Now owned by Billy Roe 2 time former Indy 500 driver, the Brawner Hawk EX-11 returned to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Speedway’s Centennial (100 year anniversary) celebration to participate in the Speedway’s “Emerging Tech Day” event. Still powered by technology nearly two decades old, Billy Roe and the Brawner-Hawk EX-11 established IMS’s first official electric Indy car lap record of 106.897 MPH on May 7th 2011. First lap, first time around.
The red seats belts in the EX-11 are Dan Weldon’s (2005, 2011 INDY 500 WINNER) from his 2007 INDY 500 run with Team Target Chip Ganassi Racing.
The Brawner-Hawk EX-11 represents the first serious attempt since the late 1800’s early 1900’s by real traditional American racers, at replacing the internal combustion engine with an electric motor.
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