xcel
03-25-2007, 04:08 AM
In 2005, the use of ethanol reduced the U.S. trade deficit by $8.7 billion by eliminating the need to import 170 million barrels of oil. (http://www.miamiherald.com/588/story/50884.html)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Dan_Wheldon_IRL_Winner_at_Homestead.jpgJeff Simmons - Miami Herald - Mar. 23, 2007
Dan Wheldon was in complete command at the IRL IndyCar Series season opening XM Satellite Radio 300, leading 179 of 200 laps en route to victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the third year in a row in his Target Sponsored and Honda powered Indy Car running on 100% Ethanol.
As the engines roared to life at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend, the signature sounds of the IndyCar Series -- a racing series that features one of the premier sporting events in the world, the Indianapolis 500 -- were to signal the start of a new era in motorsports.
From the moment I took the wheel and stepped on the throttle in a quarter-midget race car in my home state of Connecticut, racing became my passion. With the unwavering support of my family, I won my first national championship in the Quarter-Midget Association of America at the tender age of 5. I managed to combine racing with my education, winning not only the Barber Dodge Pro Series Championship in 1998, but earning a bachelor's degree in computer science from Boston College the same year.
In 2006, I tackled the steep learning curve on the track when I joined the IndyCar Series, the leading open-wheel racing series in the U.S., partway into the season. In those early years, though, I could not have predicted that I would be witness in 2007 to one of the ground-breaking achievements in racing history: the use of 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol to power the IndyCar Series.
RENEWABLE RESOURCE
First and foremost, this is about performance. Our engineers and technicians had to be convinced that it made sense to use a new fuel grade after 40 years with methanol, which is made from natural gas, a nonrenewable fossil fuel. Pure ethanol is a renewable resource, made from crops grown in the U.S., that provides the high performance that our vehicles demand, and has clear environmental advantages over other available fuel sources.
The decision to switch to ethanol follows in the IndyCar Series's long history and tradition of race-bred technological and safety innovations. Many of these innovations are incorporated into passenger vehicle designs.
In 1911, the first rearview mirror was used in the Indianapolis 500 as an aid to driver safety. Now the series is at the forefront of ''the Greening of Racing'' as the first in motorsports to embrace a renewable fuel source. All of us in the IndyCar Series will be demonstrating under harsh automotive conditions that it is possible to have an environmentally-friendly fuel that delivers real performance.
The message to consumers is clear: If a cutting-edge 650-horsepower IndyCar Series vehicle can run safely and effectively at 230 miles per hour on 100 percent ethanol, so can a passenger sedan, minivan or SUV on E10 or a flex fuel vehicle on E85. Today, all major auto manufacturers approve and warrant the use of fuel enriched with up to 10 percent ethanol in their vehicles.
Ethanol-enriched fuel reduces harmful tailpipe emissions in passenger cars by nearly 30 percent. In 2005, ethanol use in the U.S. reduced carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by nearly eight million tons, equal to removing the annual emissions of 1.18 million cars from the road.
BABY'S FUTURE
The emotions ran deep when I first held my newborn niece recently: A simple choice at the pump can make a significant difference in the air we breathe, now and in the future.
The impact goes far beyond that, though. Ethanol has enabled an economic renaissance in rural communities by offering economic opportunities to present and future generations. More than 154,000 jobs have been created in all sectors of the U.S. economy, allowing these towns to maintain a sense of tradition and planting the seeds for future American prosperity.
Unlike other fuel alternatives that are discussed and debated, ethanol-enriched fuel is available now. It is a key element in our drive for energy independence. In 2005, the use of ethanol reduced the U.S. trade deficit by $8.7 billion by eliminating the need to import 170 million barrels of oil.
In the No. 17 Team Ethanol IndyCar this weekend, I will have taken part in a great American pastime that not only exemplifies the spirit of American ingenuity and innovation, but energy independence, economic growth and environmental responsibility.
Simmons is the driver of Rahal Letterman Racing's Team Ethanol Honda/Dallara in the IndyCar Series.
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/Dan_Wheldon_IRL_Winner_at_Homestead.jpgJeff Simmons - Miami Herald - Mar. 23, 2007
Dan Wheldon was in complete command at the IRL IndyCar Series season opening XM Satellite Radio 300, leading 179 of 200 laps en route to victory at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the third year in a row in his Target Sponsored and Honda powered Indy Car running on 100% Ethanol.
As the engines roared to life at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend, the signature sounds of the IndyCar Series -- a racing series that features one of the premier sporting events in the world, the Indianapolis 500 -- were to signal the start of a new era in motorsports.
From the moment I took the wheel and stepped on the throttle in a quarter-midget race car in my home state of Connecticut, racing became my passion. With the unwavering support of my family, I won my first national championship in the Quarter-Midget Association of America at the tender age of 5. I managed to combine racing with my education, winning not only the Barber Dodge Pro Series Championship in 1998, but earning a bachelor's degree in computer science from Boston College the same year.
In 2006, I tackled the steep learning curve on the track when I joined the IndyCar Series, the leading open-wheel racing series in the U.S., partway into the season. In those early years, though, I could not have predicted that I would be witness in 2007 to one of the ground-breaking achievements in racing history: the use of 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol to power the IndyCar Series.
RENEWABLE RESOURCE
First and foremost, this is about performance. Our engineers and technicians had to be convinced that it made sense to use a new fuel grade after 40 years with methanol, which is made from natural gas, a nonrenewable fossil fuel. Pure ethanol is a renewable resource, made from crops grown in the U.S., that provides the high performance that our vehicles demand, and has clear environmental advantages over other available fuel sources.
The decision to switch to ethanol follows in the IndyCar Series's long history and tradition of race-bred technological and safety innovations. Many of these innovations are incorporated into passenger vehicle designs.
In 1911, the first rearview mirror was used in the Indianapolis 500 as an aid to driver safety. Now the series is at the forefront of ''the Greening of Racing'' as the first in motorsports to embrace a renewable fuel source. All of us in the IndyCar Series will be demonstrating under harsh automotive conditions that it is possible to have an environmentally-friendly fuel that delivers real performance.
The message to consumers is clear: If a cutting-edge 650-horsepower IndyCar Series vehicle can run safely and effectively at 230 miles per hour on 100 percent ethanol, so can a passenger sedan, minivan or SUV on E10 or a flex fuel vehicle on E85. Today, all major auto manufacturers approve and warrant the use of fuel enriched with up to 10 percent ethanol in their vehicles.
Ethanol-enriched fuel reduces harmful tailpipe emissions in passenger cars by nearly 30 percent. In 2005, ethanol use in the U.S. reduced carbon dioxide equivalent greenhouse gas emissions by nearly eight million tons, equal to removing the annual emissions of 1.18 million cars from the road.
BABY'S FUTURE
The emotions ran deep when I first held my newborn niece recently: A simple choice at the pump can make a significant difference in the air we breathe, now and in the future.
The impact goes far beyond that, though. Ethanol has enabled an economic renaissance in rural communities by offering economic opportunities to present and future generations. More than 154,000 jobs have been created in all sectors of the U.S. economy, allowing these towns to maintain a sense of tradition and planting the seeds for future American prosperity.
Unlike other fuel alternatives that are discussed and debated, ethanol-enriched fuel is available now. It is a key element in our drive for energy independence. In 2005, the use of ethanol reduced the U.S. trade deficit by $8.7 billion by eliminating the need to import 170 million barrels of oil.
In the No. 17 Team Ethanol IndyCar this weekend, I will have taken part in a great American pastime that not only exemplifies the spirit of American ingenuity and innovation, but energy independence, economic growth and environmental responsibility.
Simmons is the driver of Rahal Letterman Racing's Team Ethanol Honda/Dallara in the IndyCar Series.