Meet American Ethanol, NASCAR's Newest Partner
Weeks after announcing a partnership with Sunoco's Green E15, an ethanol blend fuel, NASCAR has announced a six year official sponsorship with American Ethanol, led by ethanol advocacy group Growth Energy. Growth Energy, a coalition of U.S. ethanol supporters including farmers and members of the ethanol supply chain, becomes an official partner of NASCAR, and will use NASCAR to bring its message to race fans. As part of the initiative, American Ethanol says it will support drivers, teams and tracks with marketing, promotional activities, advertising and a season-long weekly contingency award in 2011.
"NASCAR and American Ethanol are ideal partners," NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France said. "NASCAR is a great American sport in its third generation of family ownership, and ethanol is produced from the harvest of family-owned farms across our country's heartland.
"American Ethanol's new partnership with NASCAR is much larger and more ambitious than a typical sports sponsorship. Here we have an entire industry looking to NASCAR to communicate its message that America is capable of producing its own renewable, greener fuel. The entire NASCAR industry will benefit from American Ethanol's multi-faceted support of NASCAR, as well as from thousands of farmers and members of the ethanol supply chain now serving as new ambassadors for the sport."
"E15 is an enormous opportunity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create U.S. jobs, and strengthen national energy security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil," said Tom Buis, CEO of Growth Energy. "There is nothing more American than NASCAR, and there is no fuel more American than ethanol. We are so proud that the bounty of American farming will be used in NASCAR racing."
"Grain ethanol is at least 59 percent cleaner than conventional gasoline. Growth Energy has officially petitioned to increase the allowable blend of ethanol in transportation fuel for everyday American motorists from 10 percent to 15 percent, which would help create 136,000 new American jobs," Broin elaborated.
"The productivity of America's farmers is unrivaled in the world and our ability to supply corn for food, livestock feed and fuel should be a source of national pride. This exciting new association with the NASCAR Nation will help to build that awareness," said Bart Schott, National Corn Growers Association president of Kulm, N.D. "With precision farming, innovation, technology and hard work, farmers can double our harvest in the years ahead. NASCAR is a high profile way to showcase ethanol which is one great use for this abundance."
American Ethanol will participate in NASCAR's Prize Money & Decal program, also known as the contingency program, with the creation of the American Ethanol Green Flag Restart Award in the Sprint Cup Series, while also providing weekly prize money for eligible competitors in the Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series based on finishing position. The Cup Series weekly award will be given to the participating driver who records the fastest average speed on restarts and who finishes the race on the lead lap.
