There's no official word yet, but racing commentators are reporting that Growth Energy is in negotiations with NASCAR. It would be the first new high-profile sponsorship for the racing series in the last couple of years, and is being seen as a significant step forward in the series' green initiative. The reports say the deal is close to completion and would make Growth Energy an official marketing partner.
Ethanol is making inroads into the race car scene. The IndyCar Series switched to 100 percent ethanol in 2005, although next season its fuel will be provide by Unica and Sunoco. NASCAR's fuel partner is Sunoco, which now has its own ethanol plant in New York. That's resulted in some speculation that Sunoco may not be happy with Growth Energy's sponsorship. However, I suspect that the ethanol for blending is shipped in from the closest, most economical source. Reportedly, NASCAR is converting to E15 in 2011.
Some racers are upping the ante. Ottawa's cellulosic ethanol developer, Iogen, has been shipping fuel in totes and barrels to supply Grayson Racing in the American Le Mans and Ferrari's Formula One racing.
Ethanol's use in high performance racing cars should help settle the myth that ethanol is bad for your engine.
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