Domestic Fuel

A new biofuel mix will be making its debut in the American Le Mans Series this weekend – isobutanol and ethanol.

The “Global Leader of Green Racing” announced earlier this week that Dyson Racing, with cooperation from partners BP and Mazda, will campaign its Mazda-powered Lola B09/86 LMP2 coupe on isobutanol for the full 2010 season. Chris Dyson, Guy Smith and Andy Meyrick will drive Dyson Racing’s Lola-Mazda coupe with isobutanol power at the season-opening 58th Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring presented by Fresh from Florida on Saturday, March 20.

The isobutanol fuel component is of particular interest to BP and its development partner DuPont who, through their Butamax™ Advanced Biofuels joint venture, are developing commercial facilities to manufacture isobutanol for mainstream use.

The IZOD IndyCar Series makes its debut this weekend in South America with the Sao Paulo Indy 300 powered by Brazilian ethanol.

The Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA) has renewed its fuel supply agreement with the Indy Racing League for the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series season, which opens on Sunday, March 14, with a race in Brazil’s largest city, São Paulo. Under the new agreement, the IZOD IndyCar Series will continue to utilize sugarcane ethanol to fuel its race cars, including at its signature event, the Indianapolis 500.

At the inaugural Sao Paulo Indy 300, to be run on a street circuit in São Paulo, Brazil, the ethanol will be supplied by one of UNICA’s member companies, Copersucar S.A., Brazil’s largest sugar, ethanol and bioenergy conglomerate, with 36 associated sugar and ethanol mills.

If you’ve followed some of the motorsports coverage on DomesticFuel over the past few years, then you’ve probably read about Roush. Today, Roush announced that it is going to introduce a new concept into drag racing: a propane fueled Mustang. The Mustang, and its twin, will be ready to compete for the NMRA championship next season.

The cars are the result of the work Roush has been doing with propane in gasoline Ford pickups and vans. Jack Roush, the founder of the company that bears his name, cites several benefits in using propane as a “right here, right now” alternative fuel. First, propane, Roush says, is the third most popular motor fuel behind gasoline and diesel and there are currently more than 12 million propane-fueled vehicles on the roads around the world. (There are approximately 8 million flex-fuel vehicles on American roads today that can use up to E85).

When Roush was asked, why propane, he responded by saying, “It’s as American as NASCAR. More than 90 percent of the propane used in the United States is produced in North America, much of it from the U.S. natural gas supply. Propane has so many positive aspects and it is finally getting the recognition it deserves as an alternative fuel. Propane can help to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. Propane can help to clean up our environment. And propane can help to create new ‘Green Collar Jobs’ for displaced auto workers who can return to the lines to build alternative fuel vehicles.”

Propane has an advantage in high-performance applications such as drag racing due to its octane rating of 106. Both cars will use an all-aluminum 5.4L, V-8 Ford engine. The first propane fueled Mustang will be driven by Donnie Bowles and is slated to be tested in Mid-November. Roush’s daughter, Susan Roush-McClenaghan, will drive the second Mustang set to begin testing in February 2010. Until next season, the cars can be seen during the SEMA Show in Las Vegas November 3-5, 2009.

While NASCAR has been greening up its image in the past few years with solar farms, carbon offsets and even keeping its big rigs from unnecessary idling, it still is behind some other major racing leagues that have put green fuels, such as ethanol, into their tanks.

But this article from USA Today says that could be changing:

The concept might seem incongruous in a sport inherently tied to an internal combustion engine that many find synonymous with global warming, but NASCAR, despite cars with an eye-popping 5 mpg, is trying to embrace its eco-conscious side as the federal government has begun prodding the racing industry to become leaders in efficiency…

“Every company in the world is looking at hybrids, diesels and plug-in vehicles,” says Lee White, president of Toyota Racing Development. “We’d be very interested in (NASCAR) formulating a green look. It makes the sport more relevant to where the business of selling automobiles is being driven.”

Now, for you NASCAR fans who are worried you’ll have to watch electric golf carts race around the track at just faster than a brisk walk, rest easy that the whoosh of rumbling cars going by won’t be eliminated… but maybe some of the choking exhaust will.

The world’s largest rally competition will include an ethanol category for the first time next year.

The new category was introduced by the Dakar Rally organizers at the request of Brazilian rally veteran and former rally winner Klever Kolberg, who will drive the first-ever flex-fuel vehicle to take part in the prestigious race next year – a Brazilian-made 2010 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport model equipped with flex-fuel technology, with support from the Brazilian Sugarcane Industry Association (UNICA).

There is special meaning in supporting Kolberg’s effort according to UNICA President, Marcos Jank. “Ethanol is already utilized by the Indy Racing League, which is one of the most important racing categories in the world, and it is being adopted by a variety of categories here in Brazil and around the world. It is certainly significant to see that trend now arriving also at the Dakar, without a doubt one of the great events of its kind in the globe,” he said.

The 2010 Dakar Rally will be held in Argentina and Chile, with the start set for January 1st in Buenos Aires. The Dakar Rally was formerly known as Paris-Dakar.

What do you think of when you hear that there’s a sled running on biodiesel? Probably not thinking tractor pull sled are you? Unless you’re a tractor pull fan. Well those big machines that the tractors and trucks pull are also diesel powered and in Jefferson City, MO there’s a company that manufactures them and runs them on biodiesel.

The company is Bungart Motor Sports and I learned about if from Donnie Bungart.

Donnie says they do over 160 shows a year around the country. At the Midwest Extreme Truck and Tractor Pull in Jefferson City he says they had two sleds in operation. He says they run B20 in them and have been for over 3 years very successfully. Donnie says they’ve had a lot of luck locating the fuel when they need it, especially at major truck stops.

So if you’re not a tractor pulling enthusiast you might ask, “What’s a sled?” Donnie says it’s a weight transfer machine. It starts out not weighing much but as the tractor pulls it more and more weight is transferred which ultimately stops the tractor. At least we hope! Thanks again to the United Soybean Board for inviting me out to the tractor pull.

You can listen to my interview with Donnie below:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (1.1MB)

Thanks to an invite from the United Soybean Board I met this Missouri soybean grower. He’s Dennis Shramek and one of the competitors in this weekend’s NTPA Midwest Extreme Truck and Tractor Pull in Jefferson City, MO. He’s one of several competitors who use a biodiesel blend in their tractors.

I met him early Friday evening long before his class was set to compete. Dennis grows soybeans and corn in central Missouri. He says they do a lot of no-till. Besides growing crops he’s got this AGCO DT225 which he competes with for points. He says they run over 3,000 horsepower! They blend their own biodiesel and jug it up and bring it along to the event. He gets better lubrication with biodiesel than pure low sulfur diesel. He says they’ve been competing with this tractor for about 6 years and they’ll compete at least 16 to 18 times a season.

Dennis is sure that the biodiesel industry will grow since it’s a clean fuel and helps the U.S. economy and helps reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

You can listen to my interview with Dennis below:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (2.5MB)

With just four races left in the current racing season, Volkswagen Motorsports has announced next year’s SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup schedule… a series that features clean-burning B5 biodiesel in its cars.

This press release says Volkswagen of America has an online application page for prospective drivers at www.vwmotorsportusa.com, adding one more path that drivers may follow in order advance to the final driver selection event that will be held in February:

The final driver selection event will be held in early February 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada and is the last step in qualifying for the factory series. During the event, candidates will undergo a comprehensive examination on the asphalt and in the classroom. After driving tests, media-readiness assessment and physical fitness examination, 25 drivers will be chosen to participate in the 2010 season. Once selected, Volkswagen provides factory maintained and prepared racecars, media support and promotions, a first class at-track hospitality area as well as ongoing driving instruction for these future racing stars in hopes of advancing their careers to the next level.

Potential driver candidates must be between the ages of 16 and 26 as of January 1, 2010 and hold a passport from the U.S., Canada or Mexico. In addition, drivers entering the series for the first time must not have competed in any professional racing series regardless of location.

There are three paths now available for qualifying for the final driver selection event: online application, through the iRacing.com Jetta TDI Cup online racing season, and through the Karting qualifier competitions.

Nebraska corn farmers are teaming up with the Junction Motor Speedway to promote Ethanol Night at the Races. The event takes place during Junction Motor Speedway’s Fifth-Annual O’Reilly POWRi Cornhusker Midget Challenge happening Tuesday, July 28 and Wednesday, July 29.  The race brings the best of the best to compete for the twin “Cornhusker Crystal & Chrome” trophies.

Hamilton, York and Blue River corn grower associations, along with the Nebraska Corn Grower Association (NeCGA), are combining their efforts to be the title sponsor and promote corn ethanol during the two-day Cornhusker Challenge. Tuesday night’s winner receives $3,000, while Wednesday night’s champion gets to cash a $5,000 check.

NeCCA President and member of the Hamilton County Corn Growers Association Brandon Hunnicutt, said in an article in the York News-Times, “The Cornhusker Challenge draws a lot of fans to central Nebraska, to the heart of the nation’s corn industry, so it is a perfect place for farmers to help get out positive messages about corn ethanol.”

Rick Gruber of the York County Corn Growers Association commented, “We’re going to be on hand promoting corn and ethanol and everything that brings to Nebraska and the country as a whole,” Gruber said. “Nebraska is such a great place for ethanol production — we have the corn and we have the livestock industry to take advantage of the distillers grains that ethanol plants produce. Ethanol is a great win-win for us because other states can’t match that synergy.”

The Iowa Corn Indy 250 is racing into Newton for the third year, and in celebration the Iowa Corn Promotion Board (ICPB) is offering drivers discounted ethanol through two pump promotions. The events will offer consumers the opportunity to register for $250 worth of free ethanol and the chance to win prizes including tickets to the race and the chance to win a ride in an Indy car. The events include radio remotes and an Indy show car will be on hand.

“We want consumers to celebrate with ethanol promotions prior to the Iowa Corn Indy 250. The race will be at the Iowa Speedway on Sunday, June 21,” says Shannon Textor, Iowa Corn marketing director. “We’re proud that 100 percent of locally produced Iowa ethanol is used in the race. We want all consumers to recognize the advantages of using corn ethanol.”

Ethanol promotions will take place at the following locations:

Friday, June 12, 2009
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Casey’s General Store
6630 Mills Civic Parkway
West Des Moines, Iowa

Friday, June 19, 2009
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Prairie Gas
4300 S. 22nd Avenue E
Newton, Iowa

For more information visit www.iowacorn.org. The race is Sunday, June 21 at 12:30 PM Central Time. It will be broadcast live on ABC.