IRL Finishes Fill Up, Feel Good Season

Cindy Zimmerman

e-podcast The 2007 Indy Car Series will go down in the racing history books as the first year a major motorsport embraced a renewable and environmentally-responsible fuel source, setting the standard
for the “Greening of Racing”.

This edition features comments from interviews done at the last Indy Car Series race event for this season, the PEAK Antifreeze Indy 300 at Chicagoland Speedway.

The “Fill up, Feel Good” podcast is available to download by subscription (see our sidebar link) or you can listen to it by clicking here (5:30 MP3 File): [audio:http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3?http://www.zimmcomm.biz/epic/epic-podcast-9-10-07.mp3]

The Fill Up, Feel Good theme music is “Tribute to Joe Satriani” by Alan Renkl, thanks to the Podsafe Music Network.

“Fill up, Feel Good” is sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council.

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Fill Up Feel Good, Indy Racing, Racing

Dario Franchitti Peak 300 and Indy Series Champ

John Davis

Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 and IndyCar Series Champion Canadian Club Driver Dario Franchitti Just one word is fitting for Canadian Club Driver Dario Franchitti: Champion. Dario cinched the the 2007 Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 after Scott Dixon fell behind the Scottish driver in the last few hundred feet of the race after racing with Dario neck and neck. The win also secured Dario the 2007 IndyCar Series Title. The Andretti Green Racing teammate also won the Indy 500, the Iowa Indy 250 and the Richmond Indy Challenge, where he set both a track record and an IRL record. Rumor has it Dario will be switching to stock cars next season. A report on Yahoo.com confirms that sources say Canadian Club will replace Coors Light as the sponsor for Ganassi’s No. 40 Dodge in NASCAR and Dario will make the switch with Canadian Club. After winning the Championship Sunday, Dario consistently dodged questions about the move.

Listen to a clip of Dario’s comments at Victory Lane here:

[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/audio/Franchitti_Dario2.mp3]

Listen to Dario’s comments about the race here:

[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/audio/Franchitti_Dario.mp3]

Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 Photo Album

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News, Production, Promotion, Racing

Motorsports and Ethanol

John Davis

Freemont Industries Director of Sales Rob Herbon with nephew Justin SemmlerMotorsports and ethanol are a good fit for Ethanol Promotion and Information Council member Rob Herbon. Rob is the sales director for Fremont Industries in Shakopee, MN. I spoke with him about ethanol’s role in motorsports, what that role has done for the consumer market and what that role has done for his company.

Listen to my interview with Rob here:

[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/audio/Herbon_Rob.mp3]

Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 Photo Album

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News, Promotion, Racing

Rahal Offers Final Thoughts

John Davis

A couple hours before the race I spoke with Bobby Rahal of Rahal-Letterman racing and asked him about his thoughts on the completion of the first season for burning a 98% blend of ethanol out on the Indy Racing League tracks.

Listen to my interview with Bobby here:

[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/audio/Rahal_Bobby.mp3]

Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 Photo Album

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News, Promotion, Racing

Team Ethanol Competing at Chicagoland

John Davis

Team Ethanol Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay moments before the start of the 2007 Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 at Chicago I managed to grab some shots of Ryan Hunter-Reay as he was gearing up just before the race. Earlier, I grabbed an interview with the Team Ethanol Driver getting some final thoughts before the 2007 season closer.
Listen to my interview with Ryan here:

[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/audio/Hunter-Reay_Ryan2.mp3]

Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 Photo Album

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News, Promotion, Racing

Ethanol Green Means Go

John Davis

The green ethanol flag drops to signal to drivers the race is on! The 2007 Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 race is underway! I’ll be bringing updates of the season finale race here at the Chicagoland race track throughout the day.

Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 Photo Album

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News, Promotion, Racing

EPIC Member Enjoys VIP Race Experience for the First Time

John Davis

EPIC members Jeff Boswell President of Seco/Warwick, Lachlan Perks President of Eclipse Inc. and Jim Roberts Eclipse Metals Marketing Manager The 2007 Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 marks the first time the President of Eclipse Inc. has gotten to peer into the cockpit of an IndyCar and meet Team Ethanol Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay. In fact, it’s the first time Lachlan Perks has been to an EPIC sponsored racing event. Lachlan and I chatted about his experience and about ethanol.

Listen to my interview with Lachlan here:

[audio:http://www.zimmcomm.biz/audio/Perks_Lachlan.mp3]

Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 Photo Album

Audio, EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News, Promotion, Racing

Free Autographs

John Davis

Team Ethanol Driver Ryan Hunter-Real gives out free autographs to EPIC members What could be a better souvenir for the EPIC 2007 Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 experience than an autograph from Team Ethanol Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay? Well, perhaps a picture and a souvenir would be better. Well, members of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council and sweepstakes winners Jerry and Bud Carter got both. Ryan was a true sport and was eager to accommodate the members, signing autograph cards, tickets, photos and shirts. Be sure to access the group photos with Ryan by clicking the link to the Flickr photo album below.

Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 Photo Album

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News, Promotion, Racing

Break It Down

John Davis

Team Ethanol garage tour sponsored by EPICMembers of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council and the Race to Go Green Sweepstakes winners, Jerry and Bud Carter toured the garage that houses the Team Ethanol IndyCar this morning. Mechanics explained the complex construction of theses IndyCars from its electronic capabilities, $30,000 detachable steering wheel, design, construction and maintenance, down to the very fuel that IndyCar engines burn: a 98% blend of ethanol fuel.

Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 Photo Album

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News, Promotion, Racing

Race Day Frenzy

John Davis

Team Ethanol garage tour sponsored by EPICIt has already been a busy day here at the Chicagoland race track in Joliet, IL. The Ethanol Promotion and Information Council has a lot going on for its members and for its Race to Go Green Sweepstakes Jerry and Bud Carter winners at the final IndyCar Series Race for the 2007 season. Race ContestI’ll be posting coverage on the garage tour and the autograph session with with Ryan Hunter-Reay, along with interviews from several EPIC members, EPIC Executive Director Tom Slunecka, Team Ethanol Driver Ryan Hunter-Reay and Rahal-Letterman Racing’s very own Bobby Rahal. But first, I need to run down to the track and grab some shots of Jerry and Bud during their “Hot Lap,” a trip around the track in an official pace car as part of the VIP treatment these two are receiving as sweepstakes winners. I’ll catch you up to speed with everything EPIC has going on when I get back.

Peak Antifreeze Indy 300 Photo Album

EPIC, Ethanol, Indy Racing, News, Promotion, Racing