The Indiana company this week received the 2011 Paul Dana Excellence in Bioenergy Leadership Award from the state department of agriculture. The award was established to honor the memory of Indy Racing League driver Paul Dana who was killed in a racing accident in 2006 after seeing the fulfillment of his dream that the IRL adopt ethanol as a racing fuel.

Indiana Agriculture Director Joe Kelsay (pictured far right), presented the award to Jay Berry and Reggie Henderson of Ignite Racing Fuel during a ceremony on Monday at the governor’s residence. In an interview with Brownfield Network’s Meghan Grebner, Berry said the award provides another way to help spread the word about how ethanol performs on the track. “A few years ago we went into several racing conventions and no one would talk to us – ethanol was kind of the red-headed step child for fuels.” But, Berry says they’ve been able to get ethanol in enough people’s hands that they can see its performance. For that, he says they are thankful.

Paul Dana’s brother Greg, pictured here with Berry, was also on hand for the award presentation. He says the award means a great deal to the Dana family. “We’re honored that folks remember Paul and remember the work that he did, both on the race trace and off,” said Dana. “What Ignite has done is bring to fruition what Paul was working on 6-7 years ago to bring ethanol to all the grassroots racing in the country.”

Dana says increased use of ethanol is very important for not only the industry, but for farmers, the state of Indiana and the entire country.

Thanks to Brownfield Network for the photos and interviews. To listen to all of Meghan’s interviews with Greg Dana and Jay Berry, here is the link to the Brownfield Network story.

Today’s race was cancelled after this happened. Then the drivers all rode 3 abreast for five laps to honor Dan. This is just a photo of my tv while they were circling the track.

Here’s a photo of Dan in the winner’s circle in at the 2007 Kansas Lottery Indy 300.

At the time I was working with our sponsor known at that time as the Ethanol Promotion & Information Council (now Growth Energy). Dan won the first race of that season in Homestead, FL. I asked him about racing on ethanol in his post race press conference.

Here’s what he said: Dan Wheldon Ethanol Comment

My prayers go out to Dan and his family. It is a shock when something like this happens. I also hope all the other drivers involved in the accident are okay.

Following Victory Lane Marco and his Dad, Michael Andretti, held the winners press conference. I asked him his thoughts on racing in front of 2,500 corn growers and using fuel they grew. I had just interviewed him two days ago at a local ethanol promotion. He says, “I think it’s great we can be green and still have performance. We’re thankful to have their support. I love this place. Iowa’s great.” Marco Andretti Ethanol Remark

You can listen to the full press conference here: Marco/Michael Andretti Press Conference

2011 Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album

Once again this year Mindy Larson Poldberg, Director of Govt. Relations for the Iowa Corn Growers sang the National Anthem during the pre-race activities. I’ve recorded that for you and just updated my photo album. Hope you enjoy them. I’ll have the winner later this evening. National Anthem

2011 Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album

Todd says the relationship with the Iowa Corn Growers in sponsoring the Iowa Corn Indy 250 has been very beneficial. As he puts it, “It’s a great event for the state of Iowa. It’s great for agriculture.” All of the cars racing this evening will be running on 100% corn ethanol showing how well the fuel performs in an engine. Pioneer brings in a lot of their customers for the event. In fact, I’ve heard that there will be approximately 2,500 farmers at the race track today. I’ll be out on location this afternoon in advance of tonight’s race. Let’s hope the weather improves. Todd Frazier Interview

2011 Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album

I asked her for a comment on having Iowa corn growers supporting this race again and what she thinks about racing with ethanol. She said, “I think that we’re in definitely in an age where everybody is doing what they can to take care of this wonderful world we live in. Ethanol is definitely something that has been a real presence in IndyCar years ago to NASCAR now. It’s really great.” Danica Patrick Ethanol Remark

You can listen to the full press conference with Danica here: Danica Patrick Press Conference

2011 Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album

I spoke first with Iowa Corn Promotion Board Chair, Dick Gallagher. Dick is also a corn grower. He says that this weekend is special because it’s all about going green. That shows that this renewable fuel is a green fuel. To the naysayers he says, “Ethanol is renewable, good for the Iowa economy and more environmentally friendly.” Dick Gallagher Interview

Next up was Iowa Corn Growers CEO, Craig Floss. Craig agrees with me that the weather is perfect for racing and we hope it stays that way. He says he visited with Tony Kanaan and Marco Andretti last night and he was reminded about how much the drivers like ethanol as a fuel for a variety of reasons. Craig Floss Interview

And I also spoke with incoming President for the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Kevin Ross. Kevin is from southwest Iowa and says he’s near the flooding area but hasn’t been affected. However, he notes how much that situation is affecting farm families right now and our prayers and thoughts go out to them. From his perspective as a grower the Iowa Corn Indy 250 “it’s been a huge event.” He’s just thrilled with the showcase to promote their product. Kevin Ross Interview

2011 Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album

I spoke with Marco and asked him about racing on ethanol fuel and his thoughts on the race which will be under the lights on Saturday evening for the first time. Marco Andretti Interview

Representing Kum & Go at the promotional event was the Chief Operating Officer, Dennis Folden, seen here with Marco. Dennis says they now have 74 stores serving E85!

During the two hour promotion at the store you could purchase E85 for just 85 cents and regular unleaded containing ten percent ethanol was lowered by 25 cents/gallon. There was no lack of cars pulling in to fill up. Dennis Folden Interview

Also on hand pumping ethanol into cars during the promotion was Vachel White, a corn grower who servers on the Industrial Uses Committee of the Iowa Corn Growers. He says people like “cheap” gasoline and ethanol is making that happen. As a corn grower he says this promotion means a lot to him. Vachel White Interview

I am collecting photos from all the activities going on here in Iowa. You can find them here: 2011 Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album

Officials and fans will be wearing green apparel to the first Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented under the lights, with the green flag dropping at 8 p.m.

“Ethanol is a ‘green’ energy source and our race sponsors’ corporate colors are green,” explains Iowa Speedway Vice-President of Sales and Marketing Chuck Spicer. “So, we want fans to pack the stands in a field of green to celebrate the 5th annual Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Pioneer.”

The Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) and the Iowa Corn Grower’s Association have been partnering sponsors with Pioneer and the speedway since the inaugural race in 2007.

“We are excited to once again showcase the power and performance of 100% corn-ethanol with the Iowa Corn Indy 250,” said ICPB Chairman Dick Gallagher, a farmer from Washington, Iowa. “We think that it is important for consumers to know we have a renewable fuel source that is grown in Iowa and if 100% corn-based ethanol is good for Indy, than it’s good for consumers.”

Iowa corn growers are encouraging everyone to be a part of the “Corn Power” team by signing up and being entered to win $100 in ethanol blended fuel. You can also follow them on Facebook and Twitter.

Domestic Fuel will be covering the race once again, as well as the pre-race promotional activities sponsored by the Iowa corn growers.

Today was a promotional event that included Indy Car drivers, Iowa corn growers and representatives from the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. It was all done to promote the upcoming Iowa Corn Indy 250. They paired up into teams and ran through a course of various events that included the pedal tractors, cornhole toss, corn shucking, remote controlled race cars and more. We held the event inside the garages because some rain moved through.

I spoke with Kevin Rempp, Iowa corn grower and currently Secretary/Treasurer for the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. He says that the promotion with the Iowa Speedway and Indy has been a great partnership. The Indy cars are still running on ethanol and he’s proud to grow their fuel.

You can listen to my interview with Kevin here: Kevin Rempp Interview

By the way, Ryan beat Dick in the pedal tractor race just in case you were wondering.

You can find photos from today’s event here: Iowa Corn “Join The Team” Indy 250 Promotion Photo Album

“Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been a proving ground for manufacturers since Louis Chevrolet, our co-founder, first raced here in 1909,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. “Our return to IndyCar as Chevrolet enters its centennial year is natural. At the same time this engine program will be a showcase for the efficient and powerful engine technologies that parallel new Chevrolet vehicles like the Camaro, all-new Cruze compact and Equinox crossover.”

Chevy engines last raced in the IndyCar Series between 2002-2005 when Honda came on board and developed the engines that first used E100 in racing. Since the historic IndyCar ethanol announcement in 2005, and the first race with ethanol blended fuel in 2006, many other racing leagues have made a switch to ethanol, the most recent being Nascar.

The Chevrolet IndyCar V-6 will have a displacement of 2.4 liters and the powerplant will have an aluminum block and cylinder heads, and will be a fully stressed chassis member supporting the gearbox and rear suspension. However, specific technical details and specifications will be released at a later date. Also, per IndyCar rules, all teams have the opportunity to compete with the new engines but are not required. Teams may also continue racing with their current Honda engines.

“We are excited to have engine manufacturer competition again in the IZOD IndyCar Series, beginning in 2012,” said Randy Bernard, CEO, IndyCar. “Chevrolet brings a strong passion for racing, technology, relevance and innovation, which is a great fit for our new car platform. We are excited about the future of IndyCar racing with the addition of Chevrolet.”

The car will continue to have the primary sponsorship of Team IZOD, with the exception of the August race at Chicagoland Speedway and another race to be decided where Ethanol USA will be the main sponsor as it was for the Iowa Corn Indy 250. ICM-Ethanol USA announced sponsorship of Hunter-Reay last month at the Fuel Ethanol Workshop in St. Louis. Along with Ethanol and IZOD, he is supported by sponsorships by Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Inland, AirTrain Airways, Comfort Revolution, the Michael Fux Foundation, and Exel.

Andretti Autosport also unveiled a charitable initiative connected to the No. 37 entry called “Racing For Cancer.” The program will help support cancer research in honor of Ryan’s mother Lydia who died of cancer in November of last year.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. So many people pulling together to make things happen,” said Hunter-Reay. “I was really close to my mom. For all of this to come together, it was for the right reasons. All of the sponsors in this amazing team have contributed to make this happen.”

The Racing For Cancer program officially launched July 4 and will raise funds for the rest of this season for two national charities, The Michael Fux Foundation and LIVESTRONG. To contribute, go to www.racingforcancer.org.

The contest is supported by the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA), and this year sugarcane ethanol fuels the majority of the IZOD IndyCar races in the U.S.

“The contest will raise awareness about the benefits of sugarcane ethanol, a clean renewable fuel that could help Americans save money at the pump and cut dependence on Middle East oil,” said Joel Velasco, Chief Representative of UNICA. “Unfortunately, the fuel is practically unavailable in the U.S. due to a 54-cent per gallon tariff which is set to expire at the end of this year. We hope this sweet deal will broaden awareness about the benefits of sugarcane ethanol and motivate Americans to demand greater choice at the pump,” he added.

The winner will receive roundtrip airfare, hotel for three nights, and VIP seating at the race as well as a embark on a five-hour guided tour through the area’s scenic regions, engaging in some wine tasting along the way. For a chance to win, go to www.SweeterAlternative.com/Sonoma. You must be a legal resident of the U.S. and 21 years of age to enter.

In this edition of the Domestic Fuel Cast, we bring you some of the sounds and interviews from the Iowa Corn Indy 250 presented by Pioneer, and the Iowa Corn Growers Association. Our own Chuck Zimmerman had the chance to talk to Ron McQueeny, director of photography for the Indy Racing League and a nearly 40-year veteran photographer of the sport, who says the clean, green fuel has made a world of difference in clearing the haze that used to accompany the start of each race. In addition, we catch up with farmer and President of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, Don Elsbernd, and Todd Frazier with Pioneer Hi-Bred. They see the Iowa Corn Indy 250 as a great showcase for the green fuel and are glad that so many corn farmers are able to see the fruit… a very high-performance fruit… of their labors in corn-based ethanol in these fantastic racing machines.

It’s a great conversation, and you can hear more of it in the player below.
Domestic Fuel Cast

You can also subscribe to the DomesticFuel Cast here.

The Iowa Corn Growers and Pioneer Hi-Bred have got to be thrilled that the bad weather of late held off today so that racing fans got to enjoy a very good one. At the same time they got full value for their investment in the race as it was televised in its entirety. Ethanol and corn grower messages were aired frequently throughout the broadcast and the announcers really did a great job of thanking and pointing out all the green shirts in the crowd.

I’m just about to upload the last of my photos for the day before heading home to ZimmComm World Headquarters. I hope you’ve enjoyed the coverage. I’ve still got several interviews to post here and on Domestic Fuel in the next few days.

Tony Kanaan held a press conference following the race and all the picture taking and you can listen to it below.

Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album.

Waving the green flag is Iowa Corn Growers Association President, Don Elsbernd. I’m just guessing what his pulse rate is!

The weather is cooperating and I’ll be updating with our winner later this afternoon. Right now it’s time to load some race photos to the photo album

Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album.

I spoke with Dick earlier this week at an E-85 pump promotion at a Des Moines Kum & Go. Dick says the corn crop got planted just fine in his area near Washington, IA but since then they’ve had too much rain. Hopefully the sun will shine in that area soon! Dick says that the Iowa Corn Indy 250 has provided an opportunity for a lot of racing fans to go to an Indy race for the first time. It has shown that the fuel can perform at the highest level.

You can listen to my interview with Dick below.

Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album.

Our pole winner was Will Power, #12, Verizon Team Penske car with a speed of 181.337 mph. It was a competitive session with Milka Duno crashing in turn 2 on her laps. She’s okay.

Mindy Larson Poldberg, Director of Government Relations for the Iowa Corn Growers Association sang the National Anthem tonight before the races taking place. I caught it on my phone.

I’ll be on the track all day tomorrow collecting more photos and interviews as American made ethanol is once again featured in the heartland.

Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album.

When I got in line I was surprised to be right behind Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. Bill follows me on Twitter and is an AgWired fan btw! So, I got my iPhone out for a short interview. He says that the challenges in the Gulf remind us that a home grown fuel like ethanol is one we ought to be producing more of. He’d like to see an extension of the ethanol tax credit this year. He says we need domestic fuel, we need jobs and we need economic activity and ethanol answers those needs.

You can listen to my interview with Sec. Northey below.

Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album.

I don’t think you’ll find a bigger supporter and fan of American made corn ethanol and for good reason. The race track has had a very close partnership with the race sponsor, Iowa Corn Promotion Board and Pioneer Hi-Bred. He says they all win in this deal. The race track is really glad to have this race because although there are more race fans per capita in Iowa than any other state in the country, they are under-served in terms of feature races.

You can listen to my interview with Craig below.

Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album.

I spoke with Carol Miller, past President and Board member. She and her family are farmers. They really appreciate the relationship with Kum & Go and getting the word out about E-85. She points out that 35 gallons of E-85 purchased replaces a barrel of foreign oil. She says the Indy Car drivers love it because they use less fuel. She’s hoping to be at the race on Sunday.

You can listen to my interview with Carol below.

Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album.

But that’s not the story here. It actually is about Venom Energy Drinks, part of the Dr Pepper Snapple Group. Venom is Marco’s sponsor and they were on hand to share product samples. I spoke with Tom, Regional Representative. He says that the product has been out about 3 years and their premier sponsorship is the Venom Race Car. There are photos in my online album.

He says the Indy Car has been a great way to get there name out in front of the public. I asked him if he thought it would mix well with American made ethanol. That got a laugh since I don’t think the subject has ever come up. You can listen to our interview below

Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album.

I recorded the press conference and thought I’d share the opening questions and statements from the drivers. They talk about the track (things like bumps) and you’ll hear Ryan say how much he appreciates being able to race for Ethanol again.

After years of covering Indy races I finally had a chance to ride in one of 2-seater cars this afternoon. I actually got strapped in and was ready to go before the rain drops fell and it was canceled. Bummer. Maybe next time.

Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album.

I met Pioneer’s Joe Foresman, Senior Marketing Manager, Biofuels and MarketPoint Resource, during the Kum & Go E-85 pump promotion yesterday. He says the story this race tells for Iowa and for farmers is a very exciting one. It sends a great message to the state and the nation about how we can use the renewable fuel, ethanol. Pioneer has 3,000 employees in Iowa who are very proud of their involvement in the race. I asked him if he liked the analogy between the high tech engines powering the Indy cars and Pioneer’s seed technology. He did.

By the way, if you’re tweeting the race or want to follow the Twitter conversation then please use #indycorn in your tweets. You can use Twitter Search to see who’s tweeting.

You can listen to my interview with Joe below.

Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album.

Pictured in the middle of the Iowa Corn Growers gas pumpers is Matt Chase, Kum & Go. He works in the gasoline department for the company and E-85 is one of his priorities. He says that they’ve been working with Iowa Corn Growers for about 5 years. The timing of the grand opening for their E-85 pumps at this location was just perfect with the Iowa Corn Indy 250 race this weekend. You can listen to my interview with him below.

I also shot a video clip of Indy Car driver Marco Andretti pulling up in race car driver style to have the Iowa Speedway car filled by fellow driver Ryan Hunter-Reay. More interviews from the pump promotion will be coming your way soon. Today I’m heading out to the track (after a severe storm passes) to check out the activities so I’ll be coming to you next from there.

Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album.

Ryan will be driving the Ethanol USA Team Izod Indy Car in the race. He and Marco are both glad to be racing with an American made renewable fuel. They’ve proven the performance capability of ethanol and expressed their appreciation for the support of Iowa corn growers. I’ll be covering the activities of this year’s race weekend once again thanks to the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. I’ve got a photo album started for the weekend which I’ll be adding to periodically: Iowa Corn Indy 250 Photo Album.

You can download my interview with Ryan (mp3) or listen here: ia-corn-indy-2010-ryan.mp3

You can download my interview with Marco (mp3) or listen here: ia-corn-indy-2010-marco.mp3

Northey was given a ride to his office in the two-seater Indy Car after breakfast with representatives from Iowa Speedway and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. “I definitely got some looks,” Northey said. “It’s a fun chance to tell folks a little about the Iowa Corn Indy 250.”

The Iowa Corn Indy 250 is the only IndyCar race that is run on domestically-produced corn ethanol. The rest of the races in the series are fueled with Brazilian sugarcane ethanol. “Certainly ethanol is huge for the state of Iowa,” said Northey. “Three billion gallons of fuel of ethanol are produced in the state. It helps our corn markets as well as 40 plants out there producing jobs across the state so it’s huge. And so the visibility the Indy 250 gives to ethanol, not only here but around the world by the coverage it gets, encourages people to use ethanol as well.”

Tuesday’s Indy car ride along was just one of a series of events leading up the Iowa Corn Indy 250 at Iowa Speedway on Sunday. On Thursday, the Iowa corn growers and Pioneer will be sponsoring a pump promotion in Des Moines, offering E85 for just 85 cents a gallon and regular E10 for 10 cents off. Several drivers will be signing autographs and pumping ethanol for customers and fans at the event to be held at the Guthrie Street Kum & Go from 5:30-7:30 pm – including now Ryan Hunter-Reay, who will be driving the Team Ethanol car once again, for the first time since 2008. Ryan drove the Team Ethanol car to its one and only victory July 6, 2008 in Watkins Glen, NY so ethanol supporters are hopeful he will do it again in Iowa and make the race even sweeter for the corn ethanol industry.

I asked Dave how the return of Team Ethanol came to be and he explained, “We thought this is an excellent opportunity to showcase the fact that fuel ethanol is also biodegradable.” He continued, “Some of the things that are happening here in the Gulf Coast and some of the issues surrounding this oil spill would not be as severe if there was a higher use of ethanol and a lower use of non biodegradable fuel in our tanks.”

Team Ethanol was a successful tool in creating awareness about higher blends of ethanol for many years. With the move to approve the option for consumers to choose higher blends at the pump, such as E15, the program demonstrates the incredible performance levels cars can achieve when using high blends of ethanol. The IndyCar Series uses 100 perfect fuel-grade ethanol.

Vander Griend said the program will bring more awareness to the public that ethanol is a good fuel. Andretti Green has four drivers, three of which are American and have a stake in what happens to our coastlines, explained Vander Griend,who also noted that they will be good spokespersons for ethanol.

ICM is a title sponsor of the Iowa Corn Indy 250 and will be a supporting sponsor through the remainder of the season. They are also hoping to raise sponsorship dollars so that Team Ethanol can compete in several more races this season.

Vander Griend concluded that the best thing about the renewable fuels industry is that they produce fuel year after year and the money stays in America. “When we spend our money on foreign oil, we use the oil up, burn it in our cars, the fuel’s gone. The money’s gone. With renewables, the fuel may also be gone but we still have the money. And that is probably the most important thing if we want to revitalize our economy.”

You can listen to my interview with Dave below and check out photos from FEW 2010 in our Flickr photo album.

Iowa Corn Growers CEO Craig Floss says the race has provided them with a great platform for positive messages about corn use in food, fuel and feed for the livestock industry. “The momentum that was created the first couple of years is still paying dividends to us,” said Floss. “We’re reaching more people than ever. We have a nationwide television audience. The name recognition has really grown here in Iowa and beyond throughout the Midwest.”

Floss says they have a number of events planned this week in advance of the race. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey is helping to kick off the week on Tuesday by traveling to work at the Iowa state capitol in a modified 2-seater Indy car celebrating the fact that the race will be running on locally-grown corn ethanol.

On Thursday, the Iowa corn growers and Pioneer will be sponsoring a pump promotion in Des Moines, offering E85 for just 85 cents a gallon and regular E10 for 10 cents off. Marco Andretti with Andretti Autosports and sponsored by Venom energy drink will be signing autographs and pumping ethanol for customers and fans at the event to be held at the Guthrie Street Kum & Go from 5:30-7:30 pm.

Iowa corn growers have retained the sponsorship of this race as the only IndyCar Series race to run on corn ethanol since Brazil’s ethanol industry took over sponsorship of the series and provides fuel for the rest of the races. “Ethanol is good for Iowa, it’s good for Indy, and the only difference between an Indy driver using it and the general consumer is the speed limit,” Floss says.

Listen to or download an interview with Craig Floss in the player below.

2010 Indy 500 winner Dario Franchitti won the very first Iowa Corn Indy in 2007, when the series first started using 100 percent ethanol. He says Indy’s transition to ethanol was a winner. “It was a big deal for us when we first switched over to ethanol,” he said during an Indy racing press conference Monday. “We’ve had tremendous success as a series with ethanol and had a really seamless transition. It’s just been a real win-win situation for the IndyCar Series.”

The Iowa Corn Indy 250 has been a win-win for Franchitti, who won it again in 2009. He hopes to be able to take home a third fuel-pump designed trophy this year.

The Iowa Corn Indy 250 is presented by Pioneer, with support from the Iowa Corn Promotion Board and the Iowa Corn Grower’s Association. It is the only Indy race this year to run on corn ethanol, since Brazil’s ethanol industry has taken over sponsorship of the series and provides fuel for the rest of the races.

Listen to or download Franchitti’s comments about ethanol in the player below: