This year the IRL is giving new meaning to the “green flag.” The official green flag has the ethanol logo.
I was in the pits at the start to take this shot. It’s the best of my bunch.
The race started just a little over an hour delayed and we’re currently in a light rain caution but hopefully things will get back to normal shortly. Jeff Simmons in the Ethanol Car has been running very well and moved up several positions from his start. As of this post he’s in 15th.
Post Update: You can read what the Indy Racing League has to say about going green here.
This is the command center for the Rahal-Letterman Ethanol Car seen from trackside just before the race got started. We’ve been hoping the elements would cooperate but it’s a little iffy.
While I was conducting an interview in the Rahal-Letterman hospitality tent, the owner stopped in looking all relaxed.
One of the newer members of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council is 
Dan Schwartzkopf here is VP of Renova Energy and attending the first IRL race of the season. Dan races himself and has been featured here on Domestic Fuel before.
I mentioned the IRL fan zone earlier. One of the tent displays here features the mobile education center that’s being put together by EPIC.
Jeff Simmons is hanging with his buddies for real now. These are the new #17 Car, Jeff Simmons shirts. I’ll be wearing mine by racetime. We’re hoping the weather clears up. It just poured rain here. The shirts of course prominently promote the ethanol brand.
One of the ways that EPIC and the IRL are promoting ethanol and helping educate the public while doing so is with thousands of branded bags like these that are given away to fans at each race.
Last year at Indy races these only contained a blend of ethanol. This year the tanker’s packing true heat with 100% ethanol.
Here’s Jeff Simmons posing with Scott Sharp (right) who drives the Rahal-Letterman Patron-sponsored car. I interviewed Scott during an open media session at Club Patron which is basically a mobile hospitality venue (Tequila bar). I think it’s interesting that Rahal has sponsors that create ethanol for fuel and for human consumption! I made sure I sampled and 
It was a little noisy in Club Patron but I think you’ll enjoy hearing from Jeff. I asked him how it felt to be running on 100% ethanol this year and how his car’s performing. He thinks the time’s right for this fuel and very glad of all the support from the ethanol industry with the IRL.