This Sunday's season opening race on the 2006 IRL
IndyCar Series at the Homestead Miami Speedway marks a new future in motor racing with the introduction of a new fuel that blends ethanol with the traditional methanol.
For the first time since the mid-1960s when methanol was introduced to Indy car-style racing, a new fuel grade will be incorporated into the high-tech world of open-wheel competition as a blend of ten percent ethanol fuel and ninety percent methanol will power the series' Honda engines in 2006.
The shift to a 10/90 blend in 2006 precedes a complete shift to 100 per cent ethanol fuel in 2007.
A key component of the Ethanol programme is the branding of an
IndyCar in the Team Ethanol scheme for journalist turned racer Paul Dana.
“Team Ethanol and its key sponsors have made a significant impact on the IRL
IndyCar Series in the last few years,” said Bobby Rahal, co-owner and founder of Rahal Letterman Racing. “The leaders of Broin, Fagen and ICM have a vision on how they can positively affect the availability of fuel with ethanol that is a renewable resource.
“Their involvement and the historic partnership they forged with the IRL to become the fuel of the
IndyCar Series, is bringing them one step closer to bringing that vision to all Americans. Along the way, they are fundamentally changing not only the future of open-wheel racing, but also the way Americans drive. This demonstrates to me that this is a group of companies that want to have an impact on and off the track.”
