American auto racing and auto manufacturing, represented by NASCAR and the Big 3, have lived by the adage “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday,” since the helmetless glory days of the 50s and 60s. Back then, drivers weren’t too far removed from their moonshine running brethren who birthed the sport.
“Win on Sunday, sell on Monday,” describes the commercial benefits enjoyed by a successful racing program. That little marketing nugget rings true today as manufacturers dump hundreds of millions of dollars into auto racing and racing related marketing. If you doubt its resonance, make a mental note of how many Giants and Patriots hats, jerseys and t-shirts you see compared to that of, say, the St. Louis Rams.
NASCAR eats open wheel racing's lunch
More curious still is that the fate of biofuels is now, in some measure, intertwined with the fortunes of Sunday racing. Indy Car, in the form of the Indy Racing League (not to be confused with the equally beleaguered Champ Car Racing league), has been using ethanol blends since 2006 and last season used a 100% ethanol blend that provided more energy content by volume than racing methanol (high octane alcohol). Racing ethanol burns hotter than even methanol as a result of this increased energy content. In passenger cars biofuels typically provide between 10%-30% less energy by volume than petroleum fuels.
While yet to embrace biofuels, NASCAR has taken over as the representative of American auto racing. Given the marketing weight that NASCAR now carries, involvement in a cellulosic enthanol program would make significant strides in educating the marketplace on biofuels. In this column I have previously blasted ethanol (notably corn-based ethanol) as an unsustainable, even an energy negative biofuel. That remains true. However, I have to tip my hat to these decidedly un-green forms of entertainment for at least making an attempt.
Granted, the marketing marriage has GM, Chrysler and Ford clapping with glee as they leverage the marketing miracle that is corn-state, domestically-produced racing fuel. Fuel that can now conveniently be burned in E85 blend in new, specially designed American-made cars. So much so that General Motors CEO Rick Waggoner is applying pressure to NASCAR to pick up ethanol in its racing series.
LeMans and European automotive snobbery
Audi has won 7 of the last 8 of what might be racing’s premier event, the 24 Hours of LeMans. The last two LeMans races being won with Audi’s clean-burning, low-sulfur, TDI diesel technology. This year, LeMans rules move from an E10 ethanol blend for all gasoline powered racers to those allowing E85 in addition to diesel and plans for all-electric racing cars as part of the allowable fuel mix.
London-based D1 Oils has flirted with a biodiesel powered Lola race car powered by a Volkswagen Toureg V10 and is rumored to be fielding a car in the 2008 24 hour of LeMans. Clean burning diesels, cellulosic ethanol, electric race cars? Why do I find myself continually reminded at how the Europeans and European manufacturers seem to have it right?
Audi’s current belle of the ball, the 650-hp, V12 TDI in the diesel R10, has experimented with biofuels blends, most notably a natural-gas biodiesel synfuel.
Check out the new Volkswagen Cup, an SCCA event in which 30 Jetta TDIs compete for cash and possible racing contracts.
Speaking of Audi, diesels and the Superbowl, did you see that Audi “Godfather” commercial featuring the V12 TDI concept car? Wow, I couldn’t sleep Sunday night and only $120,000? I’ll take two!
Wrapping up, biofuels may still be far from taking the checkered flag in auto racing, but for a discipline not known for its green-ness it is a big step forward. Given the significant technological achievements first reached in racing; safety glass, anti-lock brakes, variable valve timing, sequential “tiptronic” shifting, improvements in materials, the appearance of “crumple-zones,” and other leaps in automotive safety, all saw their genesis in racing. If biofuels benefit from the same technological vetting, consumers and climate will be the real winners.