NASCAR May Use Ethanol Fuel from 2011

With the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) conference running in the background, NASCAR's chief marketing officer talked at the inaugural Motor Sport Business Forum North America about the need for the sanctioning body to make more efforts into becoming greener. And the fastest way to get a a green state is changing the fuels.

"We're looking at the technologies as well as it relates to the product on the track," Phelps was quoted as saying by NASCAR. "The first thing we're going to be looking at is the fuel."

"We're looking at that right now. It'll probably be some type of blend, most likely an ethanol blend, a corn-based ethanol blend, perhaps as soon as 2011. For us, green is certainly important. There are many opportunities on many levels, not the least of which is for NASCAR, our teams and our tracks."

So far, NASCAR's green efforts on the race track have been visible through the use of hybrid vehicles as pace cars. Around the track, NASCAR has a recycling agreement with Coca Cola, with whom it managed in 2009 to gather 70 tons of waste and 2.5 million containers, making NASCAR the largest recycler in the world of sports.

Phelps tried to put to rest concerns that NASCAR may switch to electric cars, or at least allow them on the track. Although he did not completely rule out the idea, buzzing EVs won't be seen in, say Daytona, any time soon.

"As to racing electric cars, sound is such an important part of the sensory aspect of what happens at the race track. That would need to be addressed, obviously. It's off into the future for us. We're looking at all forms of alternative energy that might available, but that's off into the future."