From Farm to Fuel to a NASCAR Track

by Joanne Ivancic (Advanced Biofuels USA) Transitioning to unleaded gasoline at NASCAR occurred only a few years ago. NASCAR race cars still use carburetors without fuel injection. The move to Sunoco Green E15 represents an enormous cultural shift in NASCAR Nation. Or does it? On reflection, maybe NASCAR is just catching up with its fan base.
Certainly, a significant slice of NASCAR nation comes from rural America, also the source of the feedstock of 15% of its new fuel.
Provided by Sunoco as the official fuel for NASCAR Sprint Cup, Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series races; Sunoco produces all the ethanol for this fuel at its plant in Fulton, New York near Syracuse. This recycled brewery processes corn grown near the plant and from other growers, most in the mid-West.
The CO₂ resulting from the fermentation is captured in a neighboring facility by gases and engineering company Linde North America for use in food, beverage and chemical manufacturing.
Dr. Michael Lynch, Managing Director, NASCAR Green Innovation, said that NASCAR specifically requires efficient production of ethanol from corn for its races. Certainly recycling an out-of-work brewery and capturing carbon dioxide that would otherwise be vented to the atmosphere constitute concerted efforts in that area. American-grown, as they say, and using American ingenuity.
NASCAR fans have long come from the ranks of those working in America’s factories, like the ethanol and CO₂plants in Fulton, New York, and the special blending refinery at Marcus Hook, about 20 miles from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. At Marcus Hook, Sunoco takes the ethanol made at its Fulton, NY plant to make Sunoco Green E15, a high performance fuel. The recipe starts with a high octane hydrocarbon blend that normally goes into premium gasoline. It is refined some more with the ethanol; then tested to comply with the fuel's specifications.
It has been said that truckers comprise a good segment of the NASCAR audience, as well. A special, dedicated fleet of Sunoco tankers transports the Green E15 to the NASCAR, Camping World Truck and Nationwide Series races at tracks around the US and in Montreal, Canada. Each tanker has a driver who exclusively makes deliveries to race tracks. These drivers are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the race fuel. They observe and maintain a strict chain of responsibility and custody for their cargo.
To assure that the fuel gets to the proper track at the proper time, Sunoco invests in extensive planning and logistical forecasts well ahead of each event.
Once the tankers reach the tracks and before the specially trained Sunoco track teams fill the race team fuel cans, the race fuel is tested to assure its integrity.
As anyone (NASCAR fans, included) who drinks a beer, sips a glass of wine or throws back a shot of tequila can attest, alcohol mixes well with water. It’s not like oil which, if left to set a while, floats to the top. Water’s notorious propensity to adhere to ethanol molecules, while beneficial in the world of beverages, can pose a serious problem in the world of fuel. To address this potential problem, the entire system, from refinery to race vehicle fuel cell is part of a closed system. According to Sunoco, the fuel is never exposed to ambient air. Every exchange -- refinery to tanker truck, tanker truck to fuel cans, fuel cans to race car -- is a closed loop. This system uses a process similar to the stage 2 vapor recovery system used at many commercial gas stations.
Once the integrity of the fuel is assured, it is not put into underground tanks as was the practice in past years. Sunoco track teams fill the specially designed fuel cans directly from the tankers. The race teams then take their fuel cans to the garages or pits to fuel their race vehicles. Race cars will refuel using the new mobile fueling systems, instead of the traditional Sunoco fueling stations which will remain in service for other racing events.
Probably the only change related to the new fuel that race fans will notice is the slightly different look of the fuel cans and fuel pit stops. Most obvious, there is no 'catch can' over-the-wall pit crew member because there is no need to catch the overflow during a pit stop for fuel. The new system is a closed loop; that is, there is no open air release or fuel overflow. Fans will see a clear hose that serves to capture and direct fuel vapors back into the fuel can. Essentially, the fuel in the can and air in the tank exchange places in the closed system.
Fueling an empty tank is expected to take as much as 15 seconds. This could take the pressure off the tire changers and put it on the “gas man” as the slowest element of a pit stop. In addition, the loss of the catch can crew member means others will have to perform the other jobs of that position resulting in new pit stop choreography options. The crew chiefs’ decisions during the pit stops given these new parameters may also effect the results of the race.
From American farms through American biorefineries to a race track near you, NASCAR’s use of E15 doesn’t just talk the talk, it takes ‘where the rubber meets the road’ action. By transitioning to 15% home-gown fuel in its race vehicles, NASCAR not only supports a cleaner environment and a developing biofuels industry, but also helps dispel misconceptions about the performance and utility of ethanol as a fuel--not only for racers, but also for NASCAR fans and the general public.
Who knows what’s next. With the transition to fuel injection in 2012, NASCAR officials admit they will have more latitude to use even higher ethanol blends. It looks like NASCAR has decided not to restrict their races to being historic preservation events, but to leap to a leadership position promoting the benefits of ethanol in particular and an expanded American biofuels industry in general. Following their fans in agricultural America, in America’s industrial plants, and on America’s roads.