“It was about this time last year when we seriously started to look at ethanol as an alternative fuel,” Les Mactaggart, technical director of the Indy Car Series said to Indy500 reporter. “The major burden was on the car manufacturers to run the fuel and really, it just became an adjustment rather than major changes.”

The fuel tanks have been decreased by 30% because the mileage on bioethanol is about 50% longer than on conventional petrol. Furthermore, the cooling system has had to be adapted because of the larger heat content of the new fuel.

As a public campaign, bioethanol enriched petrol is on temporary offer at Indiana gas stations for $2.25 per gallon. An attractive offer in comparison to the current $3.60 per gallon for conventional petrol.

At the petrol station, customers can meet with Indy competitors like Scott Sharp, driver of the Nr. 17 team for Rahal Letterman Racing. “Pump tours give us the opportunity to educate people about the high performance of ethanol,” Sharp says. “But also that it is helping to combat global warming while reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

The 91st running of the Indianapolis will be held on Sunday, May 27, 2007 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This will be the first time that all vehicles in the race will be powered with 100 percent fuel-grade bioethanol.

More information:

www.indy500.com