Feb 5, 2007

IndyCar Series Goes Alternative

American-based racing series aren't known for being on technology's cutting edge --witness the use of carburetors in NASCAR. So the news that the IndyCar series is the first and only motorsports series to switch to the alternative fuel ethanol is welcome news. It moves the series to the forefront of the push for renewable energy. The switch to 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol will come in time for the 2007 season.

This decision makes a great deal of sense for the Middle America-based IndyCar Series, which is headquartered in the midst of the Corn Belt. The renewable and environmentally responsible fuel is most often produced from corn, and it has been winning adherents, especially in the Midwest. Others have called the auto manufacturers' promotion of ethanol a sham, and Consumer Reports recently ran a story titled "The Ethanol Myth," which criticizes ethanol.

Fuel with a 10 percent ethanol blend has become common in many areas of the United States. Used in passenger vehicles, it reduces harmful tailpipe emissions by as much as 30 percent. Fuel with 85 percent ethanol content, called E85, has significantly greater environmental benefits, although vehicles operating on E85 get poorer fuel mileage than when operating on gasoline. In 2005, ethanol use in the U.S. reduced carbon dioxide-equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by nearly eight million tons. These gases have been implicated in global climate change. Indy-style racing has used methanol, which is most often derived from natural gas, since the late 1960's. Ethanol shares methanol's performance characteristics and benefits, but has clear environmental and safety advantages.

"The partnership between the IndyCar Series and the ethanol industry exemplifies the spirit of energy independence, American ingenuity and innovation," said Tom Slunecka, executive director of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC).

 "The IndyCar Series shares the President's commitment to energy security," said Brian Barnhart, president and chief operating officer of the Indy Racing League, the sanctioning body of the IndyCar Series. "We accept the challenge of making these goals a reality."