In a blur of yellow… pushed by a yellow flame shot out of the back of a J60 Pratt and Whitney jet engine… this Corvette funny car might be one of the fastest things on Earth.
Kevin Therres’s funny car that runs on canola oil-based biodiesel wowed the crowds this week at the Hot August Nite event at the Castrol Raceway near Edmonton, Canada. This story on the Driving.ca web site says it’s fast… really fast:
“The car runs the quarter mile in around 6.5 seconds at a speed of 250 mph. He has put it up against regular jet funny cars and won.” “The Bio-Diesel works very similarly to diesel,” said Carl Perlinger, Milligan’s business development manager. “Kevin and his crew had to make some minor adjustments to the injectors to make sure they are getting enough fuel, but I have seen it run and it works.
Perlinger goes on to say that the canola biodiesel has special lubricity qualities especially valuable to this type of racing. Of course, we already know of the environmental benefits of the green fuel… and the shedding of dependance of foreign oil.
For more than 100 years, The Sir Walter Scott has sailed the waters of Loch Katrine in Scotland… one of the last coal-powered steamers in the country. A 2.2 million Pounds (4.35 million U.S. dollar) renovation is due for the old girl, and officials want to run her on biodiesel.
Banks tells Leno that he is “all over the idea of using E-85 to build the ultimate street rods.” The main point of the interview is that ethanol, in the form of E-85, is a very high performance fuel if the car engine is tuned to run on it. 
“The reality for communities from coast to coast to benefit from ethanol is here,” Gov. Heineman said. “Ethanol production is one of the major drivers of economic activity in small communities across our state, and I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to see this plant up and running.” 
“As we celebrate the grand opening of US Bio Ord, I am pleased to reflect on the success of our company’s growth,” commented Gordon Ommen, CEO of US BioEnergy. “We are thrilled to be a member of the Ord community with a shared vision of energy independence and economic vitality.”
A hydrogen-powered Ford Fusion has taken part in the annual Speed Week at the famous Bonneville Salt Flats this week and hit an amazing 161 MPH!
A new tradition at the 150-year-old Indiana State Fair has started this year as biodiesel powers the fair’s midway.
The Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth is aiming for commercial production in three years. RITE was established in 1990 by the government and leading Japanese firms in such industries as automobiles and power.
Fairgoers have the opportunity to reminisce about the customer service of old-time filling stations at the 2007 Missouri State Fair. Tad Whitten, owner of Motorsports Management, is displaying his replica of a 1933 Ethanol filling station at the fair. But, the exhibit is more than just a display. The old-fashioned filling station features skits throughout the day that are meant to help educate fairgoers on the history of ethanol. Tad says most people are surprised to find out that ethanol has been around as a fuel source for more than 100 years. You can listen to my conversation with Tad here: