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]
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.
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.
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.
One of the ways that the 
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.
Updating 
Dr. Walter Copan, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Clean Diesel, says his company has developed a range of retrofit emissions control technologies, called Purifier. This new technology will help meet the requirements of new European LOw Emissions Zones (LEZs). One of these zones is about to take effect in London, England.
Fortunately, the longest presentation at the Ethanol Summit was one of the most interesting. Will Steger narrated a slide show of his various expeditions across frozen ice lands in Antarctica, the North Pole and the Greenland ice cap. He spoke of temperatures 30 degrees below freezing with 30 mile an hour winds. But, amidst all that freezing cold Will said he witnessed evidence that suggests the reality of global warming. Will said significant climate changes are causing large remnants of ice from the last ice age to break up and begin to melt. He said one ice shelf took him 21 days to cross and in 2002 the entire shelf disintegrated in just a matter of four weeks, and another ice shelf was completely gone a night after he crossed it. Will said these are real affects of global warming – a global warming he says the human population is contributing to and altering. For Will, the diminishing summer sea ice suggests the earth is experiencing what he calls “unnatural climate changes.”