Ethanol Milestone Achieved At St Louis’ Inaugural NASCAR Cup Race

The first-ever NASCAR Cup event in the Saint Louis area last weekend also marked a significant milestone for biofuel producers.  Growth Energy says that during Sunday’s 300-mile race at the World Wide Technology Raceway, NASCAR drivers passed 20 million miles driven on Sunoco Green E15, a fuel blended with 15 percent ethanol.  The biofuel trade group notes that since partnering with NASCAR in 2011, NASCAR’s greenhouse gas emissions have dropped by 20 percent across their three national touring series while increasing horsepower on the track.

Ethanol use at the track is set to increase over the next several years.  The IndyCar racing series announced last month that starting in 2023, their race cars will be powered by a second-generation renewable ethanol racing fuel developed by Shell.  The fuel will be produced in Brazil from sugarcane waste and other renewable feedstocks, which Shell says will result in at least 60 percent fewer carbon dioxide emissions.  IndyCars this season are running on E85.  This year’s Formula One World Championship series increased the required blend of ethanol in their fuel to ten percent, and is exploring additional renewable and lower-carbon options over the next decade.

From NAFB News Service