NASCAR team owner and former racer Richard Childress was at the 2011 Farm Progress Show last week to talk about the partnership between the racing series and American Ethanol, but he also put in a plug for the New Holland equipment he uses in his farming operation.
“I been over to the New Holland booth,” Richard said during a press availability with Growth Energy and the National Corn Growers Association. “That’s what we run on our farm, our vineyards. They have special tractors and it really works out great.”
Richard says he has had a cattle operation since the 1980s and is growing some soybeans this year in addition to his vineyard. “I got about 100 acres of grapes at home that we make some good North Carolina wine out of,” he told me.
The agriculture connection is what made Richard want to be a part of the American Ethanol NASCAR partnership when the series started using a 15% ethanol blend this year. Richard says it has been great. “I’m a huge supporter of everything we do in America, from our farmers to our military,” he said. “This country has to quit depending on so much foreign energy and resources. We gotta do better.”
He says that NASCAR has had no problems making the transition to 15% ethanol fuel and next year they will go to fuel injection. “The fuel injection and the American Ethanol is really going to work out great,” Richard says.
Start your engines, NASCAR fans, because the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and Pioneer HI-Bred are offering NCGA members a chance to win a NASCAR dream day to the Irwin Tools Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn., on Saturday, Aug. 27.
The dream day race package includes access to the DuPont-Pioneer hospitality tent, a pit tour, and a visit with racing legend Jeff Gordon. To enter, just visit www.ncga.com/racing and sign up for NASCAR-NCGA’s Fuel for Members Program before 12 pm central time this Friday, Aug. 5. The winner will be randomly selected from those NCGA members who have signed up for the Fuel for Members program.
Fuel for Members is one of the benefits of belonging to NCGA and state corn grower associations, providing exclusive access to discounted NASCAR tickets and merchandise and insider access to America’s most popular sport. Plus, members receive discounts on goods and services from a wide range of NASCAR partners including: UPS, DirecTV, Office Depot and MGM Resorts.
NCGA is part of the American Ethanol partnership with NASCAR, which began racing on 15% ethanol this season.
The inaugural STP 300 Nationwide Series race is in the books. The winner is Justin Aligaier, Brandt Racing, in the #31 car. He actually ran out of fuel right after crossing the finish line. These guys plan it right down to the end!
The Family Farmer/Marquis Energy car driven by Kenny Wallace finished 7th. And since all these cars are running on a fifteen percent blend of ethanol I think farmers win and ethanol producers win. Actually the American public wins with this clean burning fuel. Hopefully the efforts being taken by organizations like American Ethanol, National Corn Growers Association and my sponsor for this event coverage, the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, are paying off with better understanding by the public of the benefits and value of home grown fuel.
After victory lane activities Justin came into the media room and gave a great shout out to America’s farmers. Of course Brandt Racing has some real ties to agriculture!
I finally caught up to NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace today during the hospitality event for Illinois corn and soybean growers. Here’s Kenny revving up the crowd before afternoon qualifying.
I’ve been following some race car advocates for clean burning ethanol for a while but I think Kenny has them all beat. I wish I had recorded his remarks to the crowd of farmers gathered here today for the Nationwide Series STP 300. It was awesome baby. I especially liked his message to America’s Family Farmers that what they do is important and that they are loved and appreciated regardless of any critics out there. Amen to that! They are feeding and fueling America and I’d rather burn ethanol than imported oil based fuel from countries and people who don’t like us!
Who says agriblogging isn’t hard work? I dare them to come out to a 90+ degree race track, strap on some Nikons and a vest and wander around getting the shots you need.
I love it though. Whether it’s out in a field or at a race track, anywhere, anytime is a great time to agvocate for America’s farmers and ranchers. I’m collecting photos today here at Chicagoland Speedway all the way through the inaugural STP 300 Nationwide Series race tonight. I just got out of the photographer’s meeting which is mandatory if you want to shoot a race. It’s all about safety while still getting the opportunity for a great shot. I’ll be doing my best. I got the #2 vest and keep getting asked who is number 1. I dunno and don’t care. LOL.
This is why we’re out here at NASCAR this weekend. Every car on the track here at Chicagoland Speedway and tomorrow at Kansas Speedway will be sporting the American Ethanol name around their gas cap. A fifteen percent blend of ethanol will be fueling these cars to help show consumers that the fuel is perfectly safe in their cars and is also good for performance.
It’s race day here in Joliet. I’ll be attending the Illinois Corn Growers/Iowa Soybean Association hospitality area midday and then back inside the track for the afternoon’s activities. I’ll be posting some interviews and final results too. The STP 300 doesn’t start until 7pm tonight!
Although ethanol is in all these cars I’m paying special attention to Kenny Wallace in the #09 Family Farmers/Marquis Energy car. In the final practice last night he had the best 10 consecutive lap average speed of 169.577 mph. Not bad Kenny. We wish you and all the drivers a safe race today.
The President of Marquis Energy is Mark Marquis, seen here introducing NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace to the crowd attending yesterday’s event held at the Hennepin ethanol plant. I spoke with Mark and learned that Marquis Energy is a real family type business that he had built after growing up on a family farm in this area and branching out into the grain business. In my interview with him you’ll hear him talk about plans to double the size of the Hennepin plant.
Mark is a Growth Energy board member. He says the organization saw the long term agreement with NASCAR as a great opportunity to help get in front of American consumers who will feel more confident about putting higher blends of ethanol in their cars after seeing how well it performs in the race cars. They’ve accomplished that through American Ethanol, a partnership with the National Corn Growers Association. The local NASCAR Nationwide Series STP 300 race on Saturday provided his company with an opportunity to make a special contribution to the effort. He says NASCAR is very popular with his employees and the farmers who send in about 150 trucks of corn a day to the plant. Mark Marquis Interview
I’ll be out on location this morning at Chicagoland Speedway getting my media credentials and checking out the action in preparation for tomorrow’s race.
You can hear Mark’s introduction of Kenny and Kenny’s remarks in this video clip:
Cindy and I are going NASCAR this weekend with most of our activity being posted onto Domestic Fuel.com. I’ll start things off with the Nationwide Series STP 300 at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday with support from the Illinois Corn Marketing Board. Then Cindy will pick up at the Sprint Cup Series STP 400 at Kansas Speedway on Sunday with support from the National Corn Growers Association. I know you were wondering today, “Chuck seems quiet, must be traveling.” Yep. You got it.
I drove to Marquis Energy in Hennepin, IL for their Appreciation Day. The company is a major sponsor of the #09 car that Kenny Wallace will be driving in Joliet, IL on Saturday. Kenny and the actual car he’ll be driving (pictured) were on hand. So, there will be lots more to come over the next several days. In the meantime you can see photos, including more of the car and Kenny online: Marquis Energy Appreciation Day Photos.
Another way farming will be showcased on the race track this weekend is when American Ethanol heads to Texas this weekend for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race, the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 at the Texas Motor Speedway on April 8th beginning at 8:30 pm EST on ESPN2. While the ethanol logo is on all the race cars, keep your eye on the No. 9 Toyota Camry driven by Kenny Wallace, who is sponsored for the season by the ethanol industry in partnership with the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).
“It is an honor to be chosen as an American Ethanol spokesperson,” said Wallace who drives for RAB Racing. “I am very passionate about this subject and excited to spread true knowledge about American Ethanol throughout the United States. I’m proud and excited to go to Texas with new sponsor American Ethanol, and most of all I’m looking forward to getting my 10th NASCAR Nationwide Series win.”
During the entire 2011 season, all three of NASCAR’s national touring series will be racing on Sunoco Green E15, a blend of 15 percent corn-based ethanol and 85 percent racing fuel.
NCGA President Bart Schott noted, “Having Wallace as the driver is a great benefit. The RAB Racing team is racing very competitively this season and they are proving to be great proponents for Sunoco Green E15. Kenny understands the important economic and environmental contributions of the nation’s ethanol producers and family corn farmers. As a passionate and media-savvy spokesman, he is helping us reach millions of driving consumers with a positive message about domestic ethanol.”
“The Farm American program continues to gain momentum which gives farmers and ranchers a national stage to share their story and bridge the dialogue gap between the consumer and members of the agriculture industry,” said Joe Garone, general manager of Furniture Row Racing. “We are excited about Agro-Culture Liquid Fertilizers joining Furniture Row Companies as a partner and becoming our first agribusiness financial partner to join the Farm American program. We continue to seek additional partners and are encouraged by the interest we have received from the agriculture community and also from a wide range of non-agriculture businesses.”
NASCAR team owner and former racer Richard Childress was at the 2011 Farm Progress Show last week to talk about the partnership between the racing series and American Ethanol, but he also put in a plug for the New Holland equipment he uses in his farming operation. 
In this week's program you can listen in to my conversation with Bill Howard, Fastline, about their new mobile game app, AgRacer.
