INDIANAPOLIS, IN — For more than three years, NASCAR has run on Sunoco Green E15. On Sunday, drivers raced at the Brickyard in Indianapolis, one of the world’s most historically significant tracks, and reached a fittingly historic milestone—6 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 successfully increased horsepower and decreased emissions for the sport.
Brian France, CEO of NASCAR, released a statement in response to the 6 million mile-milestone saying, “NASCAR conducted an exhaustive analysis before making the seamless transition to Sunoco Green E15, a race fuel blended with 15 percent American Ethanol. 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 6 million mile-mark is especially significant because it mirrors the 6 million miles of testing conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy 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 horse power, they've got higher performance, and, as Richard [Childress] said, it's cleaner.”
Through NASCAR, American Ethanol has proven 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.
To listen to the full press conference, click here.
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About American Ethanol
Representing a wide array 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 the2011 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. For more information, visit www.AmericanEthanolRacing.com follow us on Twitter @AmericanEthanol or connect with us on Facebook.