Blogging Coast To Coast

Chuck Zimmerman May 30, 2006

Event coverage is me. At least it seems that way lately. Besides the upcoming CMA Fan Fair, I’ve got a very interesting one that I can announce. It’s the 50 year celebration of our national interstate system. I will be driving one of the vehicles in the convoy that will be commemorating the 50th anniversary of the federal law that brought the Interstate Highway System to America. The trip begins June 16 in San Francisco and ends June 29 in Washington, DC. You can see the full schedule here. I’ll be writing each day, including interviews and pictures as I find them and I know there will be a lot. My involvement with the trip is being sponsored by the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council. In fact, I’ll be driving a truck that will be wrapped with their logo. You can see a current list of the sponsoring organizations for the whole event here. I’ll be driving through a lot of farmland.

Then, it looks like I’ll fly from the closing ceremonies of the Interstate event to Kansas City for the Kansas Lottery Indy 300. This is one of the races on the Indy Racing League Schedule and it will be nice to get in a little more race action. Gotta love that ethanol-powered fuel they put in those cars.

Ethanol

Will it be for Food or Fuel?

Chuck Zimmerman May 30, 2006

“India – what an eye opener,” says friend and colleague John Duvenaud of Winnipeg, Man. He recently returned from India where he attended the World Bean Congress . “There is industrial scale farming but the bulk by far is one or 2 acre plots with oxen or horses – no fertilizer, bin run
seed, primitive equipment.

Indian yields are about 20 bushels per acre. There is certainly potential to increase production but my feeling is that things won’t change a lot. What is happening is that the people are getting richer in a hurry. India has, or soon will, pass China in growth rate of eight to nine percent a year. A common sight – newly rich kids drinking Coke and carrying a big belly. Even the beggar children have fat cheeks. Poor people actually have very healthy diets. They eat lots of lentils and chickpeas, very little, or no, meat. Spend any time in a city and it’s clear that westerners have no monopoly on obesity. Read More

International

EPIC Progress On ZimmCast

Chuck Zimmerman May 28, 2006

Since I’m posting this before leaving the Indianapolis Motor Speedway you can probably guess what the ZimmCast is about this week. Actually I interviewed Tom Slunecka, Executive Director of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (EPIC) and we talked about what a year it’s been for the ethanol industry and the organization.

Tom says it’s been a “perfect storm” of circumstances that’s made for an amazing year of promotional successes. You can listen here: ZimmCast 70 (11 min MP3)

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired which you can subscribe to using the link in our sidebar. You can also subscribe in iTunes.

Audio, Ethanol, Indy Racing, ZimmCast

Ethanol Can’t Lose

Chuck Zimmerman May 28, 2006

Lap 152 was not a friendly one for the Ethanol Car as it went out with damage.

It’s a great looking car and Jeff Simmons has been driving it well today but a finish is not meant to be.

As has been pointed to me though, no matter what car finishes today, ethanol wins since it’s in all the cars this year.

Ethanol, Indy Racing

Indy 500 Underway

Chuck Zimmerman May 28, 2006

Just in case you haven’t been looking at Domestic Fuel I’ll give you this post from the start of the Indy 500 today. I’ll have more later today or tomorrow depending on what happens during the race (or the finish!).

The race has started. After the first lap we had a two-car accident but no injuries and car #17 is looking good right now. After this post I won’t do any until after the race.

The one thing you like to hear here is the famous words, “Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.” You can hear it here: Start Your Engines (1 min MP3) Post Update: It was pointed out to me that Ms. Hulman said “Lady” and not “Ladies.” I would assume the singular but it sounded plural over the PA system in the stands to me and those around me. Maybe we need our hearing checked.

I’m also listening in on a radio scanner to the driver/pit communication which is very cool. It sounds like things are going well right now.

Watch here: Cars Home Stretch (1 min wmv)

Audio, Ethanol, Indy Racing, Video

Indy Parade Day

Chuck Zimmerman May 27, 2006

Today has been a relatively quiet day here in Indianapolis. Except for the annual parade that is. This fine looking group found a shady spot to watch. Included in the picture are EPIC and RFA staffers and ethanol powered vehicle drivers.

We cheered for Jeff Simmons, Ethanol Car driver, when he passed by. The drivers are spaced out in the parade in the same row lineup as they will be in the race. Jeff is starting in row 9.

You can watch a short video clip of him in the parade here: Jeff Simmons In Parade (1 min wmv)

Remeber that you can see lots more coverage on Domestic Fuel, including during race day tomorrow.

Ethanol, Indy Racing, Video

Blogging Fan Fair For New Holland

Chuck Zimmerman May 27, 2006

I’ve been waiting for the CMA to get their release out on this so that I can announce another upcoming event I’ll be blogging. This time it’s the Country Music Association Fan Fair in Nashville. I’ll be blogging it for New Holland.

New Holland has an on-going promotional campaign that involves country music star, Michael Peterson who has a new album out that’s only been available at New Holland dealers. At the Fan Fair on June 11 he’ll be presiding over the first ever Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race. Additionally, all the pictures, interviews and video I shoot will be loaded onto a video iPod to be given away in a contest for people who enter at the venue. Very cool promotional idea if you ask me. Here’s some more details on the event from the CMA Fan Fair website:

Sunday, June 11, spotlights the Michael Peterson/New Holland Celebrity Tractor Race from 1:00–3:00 PM. Country Music artists and celebrities will race against the clock through an obstacle course on a New Holland compact tractor. A New Holland Boomer compact tractor will be signed by all participating celebrities and auctioned off at a later date on eBay, with proceeds to be divided between the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and to the winner’s charity of choice. Participants include Deborah Allen (Curb recording artist); Bering Strait (Universal South recording group); singer/songwriter Woody Bradshaw; singer/songwriter Bekka Bramlett (former member of both Fleetwood Mac and Bekka & Billy); The Honorable William J Chatfield (Director of Selective Service); actor Alan Dysert; actor Scott Getlin; Craig Hentrich (NFL punter with the Tennessee Titans); Janet Ivey (creator of “Janet’s Planets”); Robert K Oermann (noted Country Music historian and journalist, as well as former judge on the USA Network’s television series “Nashville Star”); singer/songwriter Bobby Pinson; singer/songwriter Colt Prather; and singer/songwriter Billy Yates.

Agribusiness, Tractor

Farmer Cooperatives Marketing E85

Chuck Zimmerman May 26, 2006

A big announcement from MFA Oil and Mid Missouri Energy was made this morning. Pictured are members of the Columbia Chamber of Commerce, along with Phil Lampert (NEVC), Ryland Utlaut (Mid-Missouri Energy) and Jerry Taylor (MFA Oil) in a ribbon-cutting ceremony signifying the launch of the partnership. Basically the two farmer-owned cooperatives are working together to bring more E85 fuel to consumers.

Thanks to the folks at the Missouri Corn Growers Association we’ve got some audio for you. Tyne Morgan interviewed MME President, Ryland Utlaut. He talks about what the company is doing to increase the availability and accessability of E85 fuel around the state of Missouri. You can listen to that interview here: Ryland Utlaut Interview (9 min MP3)

Representatives from two farmer-owner cooperatives have announced a partnership created to make E85 fuel more readily available and affordable to Missourians by offering it at 20 percent less than regular unleaded gasoline. E85 is a blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline and is used in flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs).Read More

Audio, Cooperatives, Ethanol

Pit Stop Competition

Chuck Zimmerman May 26, 2006

I’ll leave you today with a short video clip of one of the highlight events here on Carb Day at Indy. It’s the Checkers/Rally’s Pit Stop Competition.

Rahal-Letterman driver Buddy Rice was doing fine until he came up against Helio Castroneves, who won the competition.

I shot a short video clip of one of the final competition matches. You can watch it here: Pit Stop Competition (23 sec wmv)

Ethanol, Video

Carb Day Practicing

Chuck Zimmerman May 26, 2006

It’s Miller Lite Carb Day at the track. For an hour this morning all the cars in the race Sunday got to put in some laps.

Here’s the Ethanol Car coming back into the pits after a few laps. This is a view of it from the 4th floor of the media “pagoda” building.

Ear plugs are a must because it gets loud. I think one of the biggest thrills is the sound these engines make. Just to rev you up I recorded a minute of the Carb day practice session.

You can listent to the the rpm’s here: Full Throttle On An Ethanol Blend (1 min MP3)

Audio, Ethanol, Indy Racing

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