Will NASCAR Go Ethanol?
by Sean Fisher, Cincinnati, Ohio 
on 02.23.07
"I think the global-warming thing, and all the things that are written about that, a lot more people are aware of the fact that we do need to do something." Quick quiz. Did this quote come from A) a member of the TreeHugger staff B) musician Jack Johnson or C) NASCAR driver Kyle Petty? If you chose C, you probably read this post's title. Or, you might have read this Time article outlining NASCAR's potential to change many American's perception of alternative fuels. The article quotes both Petty and fellow NASCAR driver Jeff Burton as saying that the potential of the sport's marketing power could change the perception of ethanol as a fringe fuel for "that guy with the Volkswagen van that runs off of whatever," to a mainstreamed homegrown alternative. Although NASCAR is a running late to the ethanol party, it is possible (as others have said before) that their move into alternative fuel could prove to be the tipping point.
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Nascar is wasteful no matter what fuel they use.
Dont know about NASCAR, but I think IndyCars are going 100% ethanol this year.
I'm a racing fan, but I am also concerned about environmental issues, so I enjoy reading Treehugger every day.
If ethanol gets exposure in the NASCAR community (which is huge, and becoming a more diverse demographic), that's a big win for green technology. Show people that an 850+ HP race car can run on ethanol and all of a sudden it's a whole new level of cool for people who never paid attention to it before.
Yes. I cringe at the thought of polluting (racing cars) as entertainment...but at least this is a step in the right direction.
Yeah, but their all highway miles so its not as bad as you think. :)
Yeah Nascasr is wasteful as stated but if we can convince "joe sixpack" that renewable energy is cool and American we have just solved the energy problem!
How does promoting a fuel which takes more energy to produce than it yeilds "solve the energy problem"?
Why would they use a fuel with less power output (BTUs)? It is NASCAR after all. What about bio diesel?
The disinformation on biofuels is stunning.
1. Corn-based ethanol yields a net energy gain of more than 30% with today's technology; sugar cane-based is 8X that, and cellulosic is about 4X that. But you know what? The energy it takes to pull oil out of the ground, transport it, and refine it yields a net energy LOSS of about 20% for gasoline. Google "ethanol net energy gain" for the USDA and U of MN studies.
2. Ethanol does not have the same number of BTUs per gallon as gasoline, but it can actually produce more POWER because of higher octane levels. So you can't go as far on a gallon of ethanol, but can certainly go as fast...if not faster.
Ugh, if Treehuggers don't get this, then how are we going to convince the rest of the world? Try this. Google "Vinod Khosla Beyond the Barrel" and look for his PPT on ethanol. Should answer most of your questions.
Bearing in mind that environmental concerns are a small part of the biofuels equasion. Right now, they are much more economic and geo-political. You want out of Iraq and off the Saudi/Russian nipple? It's going to take fuels like ethanol and biodioesel...along with new tech to produce them in MUCH larger volumes and in more sustainable ways. And it has to happen now.
Ethanol in NASCAR? Bring it on.
Oh, and the person with the righteous indignation about "polluting race cars as enertainment" better not ever use a jet to fly to a vacation. That trip to Alaska or the Bahamas will certinaly prove you a hypocrite.
"Why would they use a fuel with less power output (BTUs)? It is NASCAR after all. What about bio diesel?"
I can't completely answer your first question, although I know the octane rating of ethanol is adequate for NASCAR engines so that would be a concern for engine tuners.
As far as biodiesel, that's a great question. I would guess that would be too radical (i.e. costly) of a change for the teams. They would have to essentially toss out everything they have now regarding their engine technology and knowledge, which would also affect all of their data regarding chassis and suspension setups appropriate for the torque and horsepower characteristics of the engines. The developmental costs would probably cause too much backlash at this point.
On a semi-related note, this weekend marks the first weekend in which all of the major NASCAR series are using unleaded fuel. Kind of hard to believe, huh? It exemplifies how slowly NASCAR moves - it took them about 8 or 9 months (if I remember correctly) since they decided they were going to switch from leaded fuel for the teams to test the fuel and make the necessary adjustments. They are going into this weekend still wondering if it will cause problems. I'm sure it will be a few years before we see ethanol in NASCAR, and decades before we see anything related to biodiesel or hybrid technology.
Naah..go electric - fill up the middle of the track with solar panels, then everyone gets a freshly charged battery come race day!
It is amazing how people can rant about how green products aren't really green because they have production costs and transportation costs. But which do you think uses more energy, a tanker and a train from Iran to LA, or a train from Iowa to LA? Which pollutes more, pesticides and fertalizer or an oil spill or refinery fire? Which one is uglier an oil rig or a field of corn. I am sure that ethanol could be a self supporting industry if streamlined so that very little of the energy produced went back into making more. Like business, more money should come in than you need to pay your workers and buy raw materials.
James, you mustn't forget that the fertilizer you are putting on the corn you are growing was made from fossil fuels shipped in from who knows where. Also, I think oil tankers do have a nice aesthetic, even though I wouldn't want them near any sensitive lands.
If Travis' comment about only now moving to unleaded fuel is true, then that is pretty sad on NASCAR's part.
Also, don't forget that most of the fans at any given event probably drove a long way to get there.
In defense of Ethanol's cost to produce - Just think of how much pollution was caused by the Alaskan pipeline in the 70s initially and how the maintenance now is polluting just to get electricity.
If we could get people to travel at the posted highway speed there would be significant saving in their pocketbook and air quality.
Shut your engine off (after putting your car in neutral) at very long stop lights would cut fuel cost and save on the life of the engine (act like a hybrid). Don't worry that you are wearing out your starter - they have a longer life because fuel injected cars start very easily.