IL CORN SUPPORTS AMERICAN ETHANOL AT ST LOUIS RACE TRACK

Tricia Braid

May 21, 2014  |  Today's News

It’s been since October of 2010 that Illinois corn farmers attended a race to interact with NASCAR fans at Gateway Motorsports Park. That will change on June 14th when Illinois corn farmers partner with American Ethanol to bring awareness of ethanol blended fuels like E-15 and E-85 to race fans at the first NASCAR race there in nearly 4 years. The American Ethanol partnership reaches NASCAR’s nearly 100 million fans with positive messages about ethanol.

Officials for Gateway Motorsports Park announced that American Ethanol will serve as the NASCAR™ Camping World Truck Series “Drivin’ for Linemen 200” official presenting sponsor. The event marks NASCAR’s first visit to the St. Louis area since the 2010 racing season.

“We’re pleased to bring the farmers behind American Ethanol to Gateway Motorsports Park here in the heart of America’s corn country,” said Larry Hasheider, Okawville, Ill., farmer and chairman of the Illinois Corn Marketing Board. “This race provides a great way to remind race fans that they have a choice in fuel with more retailers offering higher ethanol blends like E15 and E85.”

In 2010, NASCAR embraced the desire for greener, American-job-producing fuels when it announced its decision to move to an ethanol racing fuel called Sunoco Green E15 for NASCAR’s three national series. American Ethanol was established by Growth Energy in partnership with the National Corn Growers Association to increase the awareness of the reliability, performance capabilities and affordability of American-made ethanol.

“NASCAR has driven more than 5.5 million miles on E15 and we hope that fans will make the connection that they can also choose E15 or another flex-fuel ethanol blend, like E85 for their own cars. It’s good for the environment, performs well, and saves money at the pump,” Hasheider added.

“The enthusiasm for professional motorsports in the St. Louis region is greater than anyone could have ever imagined,” said Gateway Motorsports Park Owner and President Curtis Francois. “American Ethanol understands the power of this energy to the relevance of this community. We are working hard to build a coalition of support among the civic and business leaders in the region so that when we talk to major sanctioning bodies like NASCAR, we can unequivocally demonstrate that we have complete community support. We are grateful for their partnership.”

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is an intensely competitive series that has grown in popularity. The NASCAR race at Gateway MSP will be the 7th of 22 national truck series races on the calendar for 2014. The NASCAR "lifestyle" has become a national phenomenon over the last 20 years, with at-track attendance for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series averaging 30,000 fans at each event held at nearly 20 tracks across the country. The 10-month season is one of the longest of all major sports events.

The NASCAR drivers are some of the most competitive athletes of any sport, and this series is largely popular due to the driver and team personalities that fuel much of the excitement of NASCAR.

The American Ethanol “Drivin’ for Linemen 200” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event will be held under the lights in primetime on Fox Sports 1 at 7:30 p.m. CT at the 1.25-mile NASCAR Speedway over the Father’s Day weekend. The track also will host the United States Auto Club (USAC) Silver Crown Series race just prior to NASCAR qualifying. This will be the first NASCAR-sanctioned event at Gateway Motorsports Park under the new ownership of St. Louis native Curtis Francois.