Harkin Urges NASCAR to Switch to Cleaner Burning Ethanol

HARKIN URGES NASCAR TO SWITCH TO CLEANER BURNING ETHANOL

Writes to NACAR CEO to follow lead of Indy Racing League in promoting renewable fuels

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), along with the Senate Biofuels Caucus, today sent a letter to Brian France, CEO of NASCAR, urging its race cars be fueled by unleaded gasoline blended with ethanol. Currently, NASCAR uses only leaded gasoline, a known neurotoxin, which causes public health and environmental problems.

"NASCAR's first super speedway was located in a rural area surrounded by farmland," said Harkin. "It is only fitting that NASCAR becomes a leader in promoting renewable fuels made from corn grown on family farms."

The bipartisan letter encourages NASCAR to promote renewable fuels as a way to demonstrate its support for rural America while enhancing America's ability to meet its own energy needs. Recently, the Indy Racing League (IRL) announced they will switch to ethanol in 2006 and other racing associations have sanctioned its use in their competitions.

"A move to use ethanol by NASCAR would provide a benefit to its legions of fans by assisting the local economy and environment while increasing America's energy security and reducing our dependence on foreign sources of oil," Harkin said.

Harkin is a sponsor of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) legislation that would require at least 8 billion gallons of renewable fuels, such as ethanol and biodiesel, be blended into the nation's fuel supply by 2012. He also promotes the innovative use of renewable energy, such as producing hydrogen from ethanol to power hybrid electric motor vehicles.

http://harkin.senate.gov/news.cfm?id=237109