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The Fast Track to Cleaner Fuel

The Fast Track to Cleaner Fuel

November 19th, 2018

NASCAR’s big championship race was yesterday in Miami. It’s understandable if you missed this, though. While yesterday’s race closed out the NASCAR season and was the culmination of the Monster Energy Cup Series, there generally isn’t as much media or hype around this event as there are for championship events in the Big 4 sports, at least here in Minnesota. And for some, racing can just be a difficult sport to truly appreciate, so it often passes under the radar. However, one thing we can likely all agree on is that people in the racing industry (no matter the level) know their cars and take good care of them.

So would it surprise you to know that the fuel like what they use in NASCAR stock cars is also available to many consumers at Minnesota fueling stations? Since 2011, NASCAR has been using a 15% ethanol blend to fuel their cars. In the retail world, this 15% ethanol blend goes by many names: E15, 88 octane gasoline, unleaded 88, or even unleaded plus. E15 is readily available to consumers at more than 300 stations in our state, with more opening every month.

Not only does E15 have a higher octane, which is desirable in racing, it also burns cleaner and cooler during combustion, which is a plus for any vehicle. What’s more is that it can be used by more than 90% of the vehicles on our roads today. Any 2001 or newer gasoline vehicle can use this fuel and get the cleaner-burning benefits.

Just a couple weeks prior to the championship race in Miami, NASCAR was in Fort Worth at the Texas Motor Speedway and representatives from Minnesota were there to talk to fans about fuels like E15. Minnesota and Texas may not have a lot in common, but one thing they do: they have a lot of E85 stations and great organizations to help promote E85 and E15 fuels. E85 is a different, higher blend of ethanol than E15 and it can only be used in flex fuel vehicles. However, like E15, it is widely available, even in places like Texas, where oil typically reigns. That’s why staff and volunteers from Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) and Texas Corn Producers spent that day two weeks ago in Fort Worth educating NASCAR fans about both E85 and E15. You can learn more about the fuel blends here.

Related Posts:

A Time for Good Times: Read about Indy Car racing and the fuels they use.

In the Heart of the Oil Patch: Texas is a state known for its oil production, yet they have a high number of E85 stations. In the Midwest, the equivalent of that is North Dakota. Read about how E85 is thriving that state.

On the Track or at Your Corner Station: Read about local Minnesota speedways and the nearby fuel stations offering E85.

 

Pictured: Fans checking out a NASCAR stock car at a 2012 event in Oakdale, MN. The American Ethanol car #3 is currently driven by Austin Dillon in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series