INDIANAPOLIS --For more than three years, NASCAR has run on Sunoco Green E15. Drivers raced recently at the Brickyard in Indianapolis, one of the world's most historically significant tracks, and reached a historic milestone--six million miles of racing on higher blends of ethanol in NASCAR.
In 2011, NASCAR and American Ethanol partnered to bring E15 to the sport. Since the beginning of the 2011 season, Sunoco Green E15 has fueled every car and every truck in each of NASCAR's national race series. The introduction of Sunoco Green E15 has been a pivotal part of the NASCAR Green initiative, and has increased horsepower and decreased emissions for the sport.
"NASCAR conducted an exhaustive analysis before making the seamless transition to Sunoco Green E15, a race fuel blended with 15% American Ethanol," said Brian France, CEO of NASCAR. "As we eclipse six million tough competition miles across our three national series, we can definitively say this renewable fuel stands up to our rigorous racing conditions while significantly reducing our impact on the environment. We are proud to celebrate this milestone at Indianapolis Motor Speedway along with our partners at the National Corn Growers Association and Growth Energy."
The six-million-mile mark is especially significant because it mirrors the six million miles of testing conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to initially approve E15 for all light-duty cars and trucks model-year 2001 and newer.
"NASCAR validates what a great performance fuel [E15] is," said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy. "If you meet with the teams and talk with the owners, they've got increased horsepower, they've got higher performance and, as Richard [Childress] said, it's cleaner."
Through NASCAR, American Ethanol seeks to show that E15 is a "high-performance, low-cost fuel option that is homegrown and better for our environment. It supports American jobs that will never be outsourced, bolsters rural economies and enhances our nation's energy and national security."
Representing a variety of ethanol supporters, from farmers to bio-engineering firms, American Ethanol was established by Growth Energy, in partnership with the National Corn Growers Association and others. By establishing a marketing partnership with NASCAR in the 2011 racing season when NASCAR switched its fuel to Sunoco Green E15, American Ethanol aims to educate and inform the American public about the benefits of U.S.-made ethanol, it said.
Members help make our journalism possible. Become a CSP member today and unlock exclusive benefits, including unlimited access to all of our content. Sign up here.