One of NASCAR’s top sponsors plans to file a formal petition asking that it join other racing leagues and start using ethanol to power its racecars.
The recommendation by General Motors Corp., planned for later this year, comes as NASCAR adjusts to using unleaded gasoline, decades behind the commercial marketplace.
GM sponsors 22 NASCAR vehicles under its Chevy nameplate, about half the vehicles that start any given race. It’s been promoting more environmentally friendly fuel for months, and now it plans to proceed with an official presentation to NASCAR ownership.
- GM favors switch to Ethanol in NASCAR
- NASCAR pushed to explore renewable fuels
- Senators ask NASCAR to convert to Ethanol
- IRL Moves to 100% Ethanol Fuel in 2007
- France meets with GM to discuss Ethanol switch
Good idea. The IRL cars are more fuel efficient and have more power with ethanol. It would work in NASCAR too.
are u kidding me, franco. ethanol (at least here in the ignorant states) is derived from corn, which is about 1/4 as effecient as a gallon of gasoline. it is also not more fuel efficient. get ur facts right, sir. the ethanol you may be thinking of is made from sugar cane, which we have decided to put a tax on importation of that to protect our farmers from brazils far more effecient ethanol. u would be correct about that ethanol, but that is not what the irl uses. (after all, why do what’s good for the country when there is a tiny portion of the population to protect.)
ALL Ethanol has the same btu’s because it should have the same chemical structure to be Ethanol. That being said IRL went from Methanol to Ethanol, both having less energy density than gasoline. I think it is an interesting idea, with the COT why not.
Ethanol is not more fuel efficient per volume compared to gasoline. Also, the process for producing Ethanol currently offsets much of the positive enviromental aspects of using ethanol as a gasoline replacement at the moment. They should really cut NASCAR a break on this one for now. I wonder what bug crawled in GM’s butt to be motivated to file a petition? NASCAR will need bigger fuel cells and atleast slightly redesigned engines. I hope GM is designing a new engine for the Chevy teams… Seems really strange that GM would be pushing this on NASCAR when their baby Chevy is just now getting the new R07 engines rolling. Doesn’t one had know what the other is doing?
In order for the cars to be as good as they are now (power wise) they would need computerized fuel injected engines, I am not a big fan of Ethanol in NASCAR (IRL Should run Ethanol it is more energy efficient than what they were burning) I am also not a fan of the COT. If we want alternative fuel why not go with propane it is not as good as gasoline but not as weak as Ethanol, and safe tanks exist (something else NASCAR can issue to teams), fuel stops would be changing tanks; quick couples, and electric safety cutoffs exist.