The “Ethanol Summit” included an impressive list of speakers and both local and national press arrived to cover it. The Ethanol Information and Promotional Council, IndyCar Series, Indianopolis Motor Speedway and Rahal Letterman Racing sponsored the event. EPIC officials said the summit was meant to commemorate what the company calls “monumental use” of 100 percent fuel-grade ethanol in the IndyCar® Series as well as ethanol’s first Indy 500 win.
President of the IndyCar Series Terry Angstadt stepped up to the podium first to talk about the IndyCar® Series as a leader in the “Greening of Racing” trend and elaborated on the performance benefits that ethanol provides. EPIC Executive Director Tom Slunecka stressed the importance of consumers in the push for the growth of ethanol fuel. Slunecka said consumers and consumer education are key in raising awareness about ethanol. Jim Gentry, Fuel Manager for GasAmerica, added that retailers need to recognize their responsibility in the future of America’s energy. Gentry called the leaders in the fuel retail industry to support E85 initiatives. Dave Vander Griend with ICM and Andy Karsner, the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy echoed Gentry’s claim that ethanol is set to be a key energy resource for the future. Director of the SmartWay Program Mitch Greenburg spoke on behalf of the Environmental Protection Agency. Greenburg commended the Indy Racing Leauge for being one of the first organizations to make a complete transition to a biofuel. He says that “impressive” move highlights the importance of home-grown renewable fuels.Read More
Today’s Ethanol Summit is over and Laura McNamara is working up her coverage for you. She’ll have pictures and audio interviews posted soon.
Winning a two year lease on a Flex-Fuel Chevy Silverado would be pretty cool and apparently a lot of people thought so. 
Lobbyists for ConocoPhillips, Tyson, and the Soap and Detergent Association have jumped into the fight over whether oil companies should be able to use the credit. The IRS ruled last month that they should be able to. That prompted Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) to introduce a bill to repeal the ruling and narrow the tax break’s scope to what Congress had originally intended. 
Biodiesel giant Imperium Renewables is looking to get $345 million in investments in an initial public offering. You might remember Imperium from our previous posts 
It was an afternoon of dodging the drivers of cars, trucks and SUVs. All were eager to find their place at the pumps that offered E10 fuel for just $2.25. Finally, I bumped into IndyCar Driver Scott Sharp. He seemed just as enthusiastic as the consumers. Scott said he thinks the growing use of ethanol is exciting. He said the IndyCar Series deserves a lot of credit for being on the frontier of the ethanol industry. He pointed out that the transition to 100 percent ethanol was a big transformation for the series. Ultimately, Scott said ethanol offers more power in the cars’ engines and better fuel economy. He asked, if IndyCar Drivers can be out running 230 miles an hour on ethanol, “why can’t every car in America?” As Scott dished on the benefits of ethanol, he also freely doled out his autograph:
I made good time at the Gas America promotion and managed to keep a steady pace in tracking down the drivers. My chat with IndyCar Driver Sarah Fisher shed more light on what ethanol is doing for the 
In the consumer frenzy to get discounted ethanol gas at GasAmerica, I managed to flag down IndyCar Driver Jeff Simmons as he pumped fuel and passed out autographs. Jeff said a lot of motorists don’t know where to get ethanol blended fuel. He added that, often, consumers are putting an ethanol blend in their car and don’t even know it. He said EPIC is working to educate motorists about ethanol and where they can get the fuel:
On my first pit stop on the road with Chuck, I caught up with EPIC and IndyCar drivers Jeff Simmons, Scott Sharp, and Sarah Fisher at GasAmerica on LaFayette Road in Indianapolis. EPIC teamed up with GasAmerica and offered E10 fuel, a blend of 10 percent ethanol and 90 percent gasoline to consumers for $2.25 a gallon. They IndyCar drivers manned the pumps alongside EPIC personnel and scribbled autographs for consumers. The special rate was available from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m, but motorists I talked to said they were lining up around the parking lot as early as 8:00 a.m. David Petros joked that he came out to celebrate his birthday. He said he figured he would save some money and fill up his tank. David added that ethanol is moving the fuel industry in the right direction. Click here to hear more:
Another consumer, Kristian Gibson, said she’s counting on ethanol to be more cost-effective and says she’s hoping that motorists will get a fairer price for fuel as the ethanol industry continues to grow. Kristian says her job requires a lot of travel around Marion County. For her, saving money on tank of gas is worth a couple hours for the wait. Hear what else she has to say about ethanol and its impact on the price of fuel: