IndyCar Tests Ethanol at Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS — Two former Indianapolis 500 champions and two other IRL IndyCar Series drivers tested their cars Monday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway using the fuel that will power all IRL cars next season: 100 percent ethanol.
Helio Castroneves, who won the 500 two straight years (2001 and 2002), and 2005 champion Dan Wheldon drove cars powered by the 3.0-liter Honda V8 engines that were standard in all IRL machines in 2006. Next year, engine size will be increased to 3.5 liters; the cars driven by Jeff Simmons and Tony Kanaan utilized the new engines.
No speeds or other specific information about the first day of a two-day test were released.
Simmons, of Rahal Letterman Racing, drives a car that is sponsored in part by the ethanol industry, which promotes its alcohol-based fuel derived mainly from corn. Ethanol is gaining momentum as an alternative to gasoline, and the IRL announced last year that it would convert to ethanol in 2007 after one season in which a blend of ethanol and methanol was used.
Simmons replaced Paul Dana in the No. 17 car after Dana was killed in a crash during practice prior to this year's season-opening race. Dana had put together the sponsorship deal for his car, bringing ethanol into the IRL.
What it means to you: The IRL will be the first major racing series to use ethanol, a renewable fuel derived from corn and other agricultural products, as its primary fuel. This could help the U.S. reduce its dependence on imported crude oil and petroleum products.
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