NASCAR gets involved with ethanol for 2011 season

While the E15 debate continues, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (a.k.a. NASCAR) announced that Sunoco Green E15, a high-performance ethanol-blended fuel, will become its mandatory go juice for every vehicle competing in NASCAR's three touring series (Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series, and Camping World Truck) for the 2011 racing season.

In addition to selecting E15 as the official fuel, NASCAR has announced a marketing partnership designed to highlight the switch to ethanol. The idea is to showcase ethanol as a home-grown fuel that provides performance that's at least on par with gasoline. NASCAR believes that there's no better place to do that than on one of the circuit's oval race tracks.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, sums up the overall theme of NASCAR's ethanol marketing approach rather well, stating, "If it's good enough for Jimmie Johnson, it's good enough for me." Dave Fremark, president of the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council, commented on the relationship between NASCAR and E15, declaring, "I can't think of a better marriage than the American sport of NASCAR and the American fuel known as corn ethanol." Think racing fans will care what's powering the cars they cheer on around the track?

source: autoblog