Supplier also extracts food, energy source

By indycar.com staff

Ryan Hunter-Reay is "an environmental freak." His words.

"I'm full on recycling all that stuff," the IndyCar Series driver said. "I'm a surfer, so I'm in the ocean and see the pollution and how it affects that. Being with ethanol, we're firsthand green."

The IndyCar Series, which is the only motorsports series to use 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol in its Honda Indy V-8 engines, is taking another step in improving racing's environmental footprint and being a proponent of a less oil-dependent future.

LifeLine Foods will be the official supplier of the 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol for 2008, providing about 120,000 gallons of the renewable fuel. The St. Joseph, Mo., company adds to equation by using corn to produce food and fuel for the facility's energy needs. One portion of the corn kernel is processed and marketed to the food industry while the remainder is used for, among other things, cattle feed and energy needs. Utilizing a bran energy recovery system, total plant energy needs will be reduced by about 50 percent. This method insures that the company is getting the most value out of corn, benefiting the agriculture, food and ethanol industries.

"The IndyCar Series is the perfect showcase for the environmental and performance attributes of ethanol," said Bill Becker, CEO of LifeLine Foods. "We are proud to be on the cutting edge of renewable energy technologies and provide fuel for cutting-edge race cars."

Fuel from the facility, which produces 50 million gallons of ethanol a year, will be shipped to Indianapolis and stored at Superior Solvents and Chemicals, which can store up to 30,000 gallons. Superior's staff of chemists and technicians will be responsible for loading all tanker trailers and distributing the fuel to each IndyCar Series Open Test and race event during the season.

"The ethanol industry is constantly evolving," said Robert White, interim executive director of EPIC (Ethanol Promotion and Information Council). "We are dedicated to being good stewards of the environment while providing solutions to our nation's long-term energy needs. LifeLine Foods is a shining example of these ideals."