The theme for this year’s 50th IPL Festival Parade in downtown Indianapolis was “Spirit and Speed.” There certainly was a lot of spirit from the crowd as celebrity after celebrity filed by on classic cars and Indy-related floats. The parade showcased each of the 33 competitors for the Indy 500 race Sunday along with more than a dozen other high-profile stars and groups. EPIC members slid into a top notch spot for catching more than a glimpse of all the stars. NFL quarterback Peyton Manning served as the parade’s Grand Marshal. 
Members also spotted Ludacris, John Oats, Gene Simmons, Grey’s Anatomy stars Patrick Dempsey and Eric Dane among others. Dempsey is slated to drive the pace car during the Indy 500 race. The crowds cheered as U.S. military officers filed by in uniform. American Hero General Chuck Yeager received a warm welcome from spectators. Olympian gold medalists and top models were also showcased in the collection of celebrities who were eager to greet the public.
The Nitty Gritty In the Garage
Enough with the replicas. This time it was the real deal for EPIC Members. The ethanol team handed out all-access passes for a peek into what makes an IndyCar run at more than 230 miles an hour. Letterman-Rahal Racing’s Steve Shunck led members on a tour through the garages for Rahal-Letterman IndyCar Drivers Jeff Simmons and Scott Sharp. From the shiny brass engine to the $10,000 steering wheel, members got a close-up look at the gears, nuts and bolts of Ethanol’s #17 IndyCar and Petron’s #8 IndyCar. For those of you that missed out on this rare inside look, don’t fret. All of Steve’s nitty gritty information was caught on tape:
Final Prep Day Before Indy
It’s the day before the 91st running of the Indianapolis 500 and things are relatively quiet at the track. However, I’m sure there’s lots of activity in this garage making last minute tweaks on the car.
The parade is going on downtown and Laura will have pictures and audio posted later. She followed the EPIC member group on a garage tour this morning before heading downtown. We’ve also got a reception this evening with EPIC to attend and then it will time for the big race.
Endress+Hauser Says EPIC Measures Up
One of the EPIC member companies and Team Ethanol supporters is Endress+Hauser. They brought a lot of their staff out to Carb Day and I had a chance to visit with general manager Todd Lucey. He’s pictured here to the right of these EPIC staffers.
Todd says that EPIC has really helped create awareness and better understanding in the public about ethanol. He says that’s good for his business. Just a few years ago the amount of business they did related to ethanol was minor. That has changed dramatically and now represents a significant part of their business. In my interview with Todd he talks about what the company does which is basically making measurement and automation equipment for manufacturing applications. Additionally, he had the opportunity to present the fastest practice lap award to Tony Kanaan, which he was very excited about.
You can listen to my interview with Todd Lucey here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/epic/indy-07-lucey.mp3]
IndyCar Fuel Thoughts From Ed Carpenter
All the IndyCar drivers make themselves available for interviews prior to race day here in Indianapolis. One of them that I’ve wanted to interview is Ed Carpenter, seen here doing a media interview.
After that interview it was my turn. I asked him what he thinks about using ethanol as a fuel. He believes that although changing fuels is a big challenge and that many people expected a drop in performance the exact opposite is the case. He says it’s just another example of the IRL showcasing new technology and innovation. By the way, Ed is the stepson of IRL founder Tony George.
You can listen to my interview with Ed Carpenter here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/epic/indy-07-carpenter.mp3]
EPIC Members Get Suite Treatment
The Freedom 100 Indy Pro Series race kicked off the weekend’s events at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I stopped in at the Tower suite where the Ethanol Promotional and Information Council hosted members with Endress+Hauser, a company that specializes in fuel flow control. Members enjoyed a sky high view of the Freedom 100, where a record 25 teams entered the race for a cash prize of $30,000. Alex Lloyd of England cruised ahead at the first turn of the race and kept the lead throughout the 40 laps to secure 1st place. During the race, IndyCar Driver Jeff Simmons, who’ll be competing in the Indy 500 Sunday, stopped by the suite. He greeted the large Endress+Hauser group and the members were eager to get Jeff’s autograph. The day rounded out with a free Kid Rock concert just below the Tower suite. Most members wandered down to catch the spectacle.
Sharp Stops Short in Pit Stop Challenge
Just after the Freedom 100 Pro Series race, the top 10 qualifying IndyCar Drivers competed for $50,000 in the Carb Day Pit Stop Challenge. EPIC teammate Scott Sharp’s crew whizzed through the first few rounds of the challenge. But, Scott’s car got hung up in the semifinal and the crew missed it’s chance to advance. The Penske pit crew for IndyCar Driver Helio Castroneves edged out Sam Hornish Jr.’s team in the final for it’s second straight win, with a time of 8.335 seconds.
Interview With Tonya Dana
As some Domestic Fuel fans know I conducted the last interview that Paul Dana granted prior to his tragic death last year just prior to the opening IRL race in Homestead, FL. Paul is the man who worked so hard to bring the ethanol and racing industries together. He was the driver of the #17 Ethanol Car prior to Jeff Simmons. This year’s running of the Indy 500 with all the cars fueled with ethanol is the fulfillment of his dream.
Visiting the track yesterday was Paul’s wife Tonya, pictured here outside the Rahal-Letterman Racing hospitality suite. Although I’ve met Tonya before I never had a chance to interview her. She was gracious enough to allow me a few minutes though.
I was impressed with how strong she seems to be. It has to take courage to come out here in light of what happened to Paul. Tonya says that the support she’s received from friends in the ethanol industry and the IRL has been tremendous. She does see this year’s race as the fulfillment of Paul’s dream and she says she’s ready to help the ethanol industry in any way she can.
You can listen to my interview with Tonya Dana here: [audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/epic/indy-07-tonya.mp3] Tonya Dana interview
Flying The Ethanol Flag
One of the ways that the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council is promoting ethanol here at the Brickyard today is with this banner being pulled around by a small plane.
It’s going to be circling the area all weekend.
The banner is part of the Gas America promotion that started out with the pump promotion earlier this week.
Assist. Secretary of Renewable Fuels Suits Up
The agenda for the Ethanol Summit changed at the last minute and just 24 hours before the event, the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Andy Karsner, announced he would attend. Andy said ethanol is a key part of the solution to combating global warming. He said ethanol isn’t the silver bullet, but rather part of the silver buck shot. For Andy, it’ll take a number of committed strategies to establish a more green America. It wasn’t all business for the Assistant Secretary though. Andy strapped on an official Ethanol flame-repellent suit and hopped into the hot seat of a replica Ethanol car.