One of the inventions of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council is the “e”-tini, a very colorful martini. Actually there are 3 different ones and I’ll have to update this post to provide the details on them. This is our bartender at the reception last night who was very animated and enjoyed making a new drink. Prior to the reception …
Ethanol On Ice
I think it shows that you’ve “arrived” when you can have an ice sculpture at your reception. This one greeted us at the EPIC pre-race reception where members gathered to hear from a number of organizational representatives. I’m not sure how many people are here from the ethanol industry but we had a quite a crowd made up of founding …
EPIC Members Get VIP Showcase at Indy 500 Parade
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …