Politicians are talking about how E85 is good for the environment. Drivers and mechanics know that it's also good for racing.

E85 is a fuel made by mixing 85% ethanol with 15% gasoline. It has several environmental benefits - including burning more cleanly than gasoline, decreasing carbon dioxide emissions throughout the whole production cycle, and being renewable. For regular cars, though, it faces technological barriers before it can be instituted as a regular fuel type.

Ethanol burns at a different temperature than gasoline, and it requires a different compression ratio to reach peak performance and efficiency. For the average automobile owner, this is a problem. For a car racer and enthusiast, it is not. Ethanol has an octane level above 100, making it perfect for high performance racing. All the mechanic needs to do is fit the car with a special fuel injection system to utilize the ethanol properly.

Although individual car enthusiasts have begun to use E85 as a fuel for their racing cars, it is just beginning to take off as a standard fuel for racing organizations. The Indy Racing League recently started using a 100% ethanol fuel. The American Le Mans Series has also recently switched to an E10 fuel - 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline. NASCAR has received some pressure to switch to an ethanol fuel as well, but it has so far declined to do so.

If Indy Racing and ALMS are any indication, ethanol is the way of the future for car racing. It has the power potential that high performance racing cars need. The mechanics have the experience and the support needed to adapt their cars to the fuel's requirements. Best of all, it makes a sport with a poor environmental image seem far more environmentally friendly.

References
http://www.indycar.com/tech/et hanol.php
http://www.drivingethanol.org/ motorsports/alms.aspx
http://www.insidegreentech.com /node/1155

Learn more about this author, B. Rock.
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