By MICHELE F. MIHALJEVICH
Indiana Correspondent

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR’S decision to use an ethanol blend of fuel is a win for the product, according to those with ties to the ethanol industry.

Beginning next season, vehicles in NASCAR’s three top series – Sprint Cup, Nationwide and the Camping World Truck Series – will switch from unleaded fuel to E15, a blend of 15 percent ethanol and 85 percent gasoline. NASCAR, the National Assoc. For Stock Car Auto Racing, made the announcement in mid-October.

“I think it’s a good thing, a positive,” said Doug Durante, executive director of the Clean Fuels Development Coalition, based in Bethesda, Md. “It will help demonstrate that the fuel is fine. People will see that if racing guys use it, it must be okay for regular cars.
“For people who already know what E15 is, this will help address their concerns. For people who don’t, it will expose it to them and help increase awareness.”

The move by NASCAR can help the general public learn more about where their food and fuel come from, said Bart Schott, president of the National Corn Growers Assoc.

“We salute NASCAR for taking this great step forward,” Schott said in a statement. “With this and the decision by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency to move E15 forward as an option for newer cars, now is the time we need to drive home the truth about ethanol as an important part of ensuring energy security, rural economic growth and environmental benefits.”

NASCAR’s decision to use E15 is part of the organization’s longer-range plan to become more environmentally friendly, said Ramsey Poston, managing director of corporate communications for NASCAR.

“We’ve been taking steps in this direction for several years,” he explained. “We’re constantly trying to do more green things. For example, we have the largest recycling program in sports. In the garage area, we recycle fuels and oils.”

NASCAR also has a tree planting program based on the number of green flags thrown during each race. For each green flag, a tree will be planted in the community where the race was held, he said.
Sunoco, which makes the unleaded fuel NASCAR currently uses, will produce the new fuel as Sunoco Green E15. It will be blended at the company’s fuel facility in Marcus Hook, Pa. The ethanol will come in part from Sunoco’s new ethanol plant in Fulton, N.Y.

As next season draws closer, NASCAR will probably have a marketing campaign to make the public aware of the change, Poston said.

“We want to be a leader and make a commitment,” he explained. “(NASCAR Chair and CEO) Brian France has made that commitment. American ethanol creates jobs and helps with energy independence. It’s a good message.”

The switch to E15 is another step NASCAR has taken toward conservation, France said in a statement.

“The transition to Sunoco Green E15 takes our long-term sustainability strategy to the next level,” France noted. “Sunoco Green E15 is good for racing, good for the environment and good for America. While fueling the same close, door-to-door racing that thrills our fans, American ethanol creates jobs in the United States, helps foster energy independence and continues the greening of our sport.”

The change helps make NASCAR more germane to its fans and the public in general, said Doug Duchardt, vice president of development for Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick fields cars for four-time Sprint Cup series champions Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, and for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin.

“This is a combination of trying to be responsible and being more green, and adding relevance to what we do as a stock car racing series,” Duchardt said. “(This fuel) is closer to what people are buying at the pump. Besides the green aspects, this is about relating to what people are using in their own cars.”

NASCAR has been working with the sport’s engine-builders for several months to help them prepare for the new fuel, Poston said. The teams will use E15 when testing begins for 2011 in January. Preliminary testing has shown a slight increase in horsepower, Poston added.

Hendrick has found that power is up a bit while mileage is down, Duchardt noted. “It takes more E15 to make the same amount of power as gas,” he said. “You have to use more E15 to make the same power.”

Duchardt said that difference may require additional pit stops during a race, as he doesn’t expect the size of fuel cells to change. The race teams will have to do their homework on fuel systems, parts and materials, such as gaskets, to determine how E15 will affect them, he stated.

Storage and handling is a concern, he added, as ethanol has a tendency to absorb moisture.

“We have to be careful of water getting into it and we have to watch how long we store it in the cars,” he said. “After races, we will probably pump the cars dry before we load them up and bring them back to the shop.”