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NASCAR team owner committed to ethanol

Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of Richard Childress Racing (RCR) is a former driver and racing team owner who is committed to American Ethanol.  He believes in the fuel not only because of its performance capabilities, but because it is an environmentally friendly, American made fuel.

Childress told Brownfield “It’s something we’re doing right for America and for the American farmer.”

In 2011, NASCAR began using the 15% ethanol blend -E15 in all three of its national racing series.  Childress told Brownfield race teams have embraced the fuel.  When NASCAR makes another engine change, probably within the next 3 years, Childress fully expects to see a higher ethanol blend used in the sport.   During testing prior to NASCAR’s move to using an ethanol blend, Childress said the race cars did as well on E30 as they did on E15.

NASCAR engines will turn up to 9500 RPMs and run solid for 3 to 4 hours at a time.  Comparing that type of pressure with the pressure a typical consumer’s car engine withstands in a day, Childress said it’s obvious that E15 is a great blend.

With 75 million race fans, Childress says ethanol is getting a lot of exposure.   American Ethanol, a marketing campaign to increase awareness of American-made E15 fuel, is a major associate sponsor for Richard Childress Racing Driver Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet.  (Dillon is one of 2 grandson’s racing for RCR.)

Dillion is 25-years old with a huge social media following.  Childress said this “millenial connection” is important.

“They will be our fuel buyers in years to come,” said Childress.
Back home in North Carolina, Childress has his work cut out for him explaining away some of the myths about ethanol – especially with his many friends in the swine business.

Through television, ethanol exposure to NASCAR fans has been huge.

Childress said NASCAR has a loyal following of fans, which is good for ethanol.

“When they see 15% ethanol, they know it’s good,” he said, “because we’re running it in our race cars.”

Richard Childress talks about ethanol: