Helio & Tax Woes; Hybrids at Road Atlanta

Helio Castroneves of Team Penske has been indicted on Federal income tax evasion charges. The Miami Herald has more here:

We mentioned in our Race-Talk program this week, that we'd do some explaining on how the Zytek racing hybrid that will be racing in the American LeMans' Petit LeMans at Road Atlanta (Braselton, GA) works. Here goes:

The vehicle is powered by a 4 cam 4.5 liter racing V8 engine. The hybrid system converts energy generated by braking into electricity. When braking, the generator sends back DC electricity to charge the battery pack that runs the motor. The hope is to generate enough electricity to run the car at low speeds (similar to those on pit roads), then have the V8 kick in...and when needed for some extra power...the motor can add electric power to the V8 (just like what happens with Toyota's Prius/Camry/Highlander hybrids; Ford's Escape; Saturn's Vue and Aura and Chevy's Tahoe/GMC Yukon/Cadillac Escalade hybrids. With all of the spot gas shortages going on in that area (and a little bit west of there around Talladega); you'd wish for one of those on the road as well. The ALMS has most of its cars run on E10 (10 percent ethanol--safe for all cars); E85 (up to 85 percent ethanol, in practice more like 70%; those cars need special injectors and plumbing) and clean diesel (The Audi R10s and Peugeots). With hybrids...they have all ends of the energy saving spectrum covered in ALMS.

For the record, Formula One Grand Prix racing may see some version of kinetic energy recovery in 2009, be it through a flywheel that stores energy, or like the electric hybrids (BMW & Red Bull).

We're about to load up for bear with our trip to Lowe's Motor Speedway next weekend...so we're kicking back--hoping the gas shortage will ease around the "Queen City".

New Muscle Car from the Bowtie Brigade

What you see above is a production version of the 2010 Camaro, which was just introduced to the motoring press a few days ago on the left coast. One of those cars made their way to the Brickyard...because Chevrolet is the official car and truck of the Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. We took this shot at the unofficial Chevy kickoff golf tourney. We also saw a Chevy Silverado Hybrid pickup truck...which works like the GMC Yukon Hybrid we tested for this week's edition of Radio-Road-Test. The podcast of the GMC Yukon test will be available at our Motor Sports Radio podcast page for the next week. One might surmise that GM's Chevy division is getting a bit of bang for the buck from their involvement with the Hulman-George family--and Indy is likely not on the list of curtailed racing activities or venues.

Just an aside: where I'm staying in Greenwood, IN is near a Gas America station, which is selling E85 for $2.99 ...unleaded regular for $3.88...and bio diesel for $4.69 per gallon.

We'll blog later from some of the pre-race festivities.

Soggy Warm-Up; Welcome to Race Day

You will notice the treaded Firestone rain tires on Dan Wheldon's #10 Dallara Honda. This area of Ohio was hit with a classic "frog strangler" of a thunderstorm this morning...so jet driers prowled the pit road trying to dry the pavement, so the pit crews could have reasonably dry footing. We say reasonably...because the National Weather Service calls for a high probability of rain showers for the race. The Lincoln MKS we're driving has a radar weather option so a driver can get a radar map from 5 to 500 miles out--we knew this morning that a relatively strong storm was passing through Fort Wayne, IN in our direction here outside Lexington, OH...so the race will likely be a wet race...meaning that all the cars will wear the rain version of the racing Firestone Firehawks.

We spent some time interviewing the executive director of the Ethanol Promotion and Information Council, Toni Neurenberg, about some topics we've broached in past posts. The ethanol that is used to power IndyCars is made from corn, but not all the grain is used for fuel. Toni says that the company who supplies the 100 % fuel grade ethanol--LifeLine Foods of St. Joseph, MO--uses the part that is left over after processing the corn for food, to make the ethanol. This means that this use of corn is more efficient, and the by-product powers a major American auto racing series. Fuel grade ethanol has 2 percent gasoline so it can be seen if it should burn. This means that of the 5,000 gallons of fuel that powers the IndyCars in practice, qualifying and racing for a typical event, only 100 gallons of that 5,000--two percent--are gasoline.

Snapshots of the IndyCar winner and comments to follow.

Sign Of The Times

Greetings from the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course--where the IndyCar and American LeMans Series are racing this weekend. Today (Friday) will see pole qualifying for the ALMS LeMans Prototype 1 & 2 cars and practice for the IndyCars. This is the fifth weekend of six straight for the IndyCars.

The IndyCar series, as has been well documented, powers its race cars on 100% fuel grade ethanol. Some cars in the ALMS GT2 class, like Lord Drayson's Aston Martin...and the Corvettes, run on cellulosic ethanol (E85). The sign above is in front of His Lordship's transporter in the paddock. The Intersport Racing LeMans Prototype 1 (among the style of cars that contest the 24 Hours of Lemans) is similarly fueled by E85. The LMP1 Audi R10 diesels run on clean diesel fuel. The rest of the ALMS field runs on E10, which you may be running on after filling up at a gas pump near you. Every automobile and light truck sold in the US can run on E10, which means the blend is 90 percent petroleum based gasoline and 10 percent ethanol. Zipping through Indiana, we saw E85 selling for 50 cents a gallon less than unleaded regular (and it was certainly tempting to want to fill up the car at THAT pump). Our 2009 Lincoln test car (AWD MKS) has the gas cap clearly marked no E85 ...but it will accept E10...just like the race cars here. Just an aside: Gas prices around Chicago are in the $4.30-4.40 range for a gallon of unleaded regular gas...Outside of Lima, Ohio...our usual stop (Flying J) had unleaded regular for sale at $3.76 per gallon.

We'll update you with the pole winners for the American LeMans series race...and some comments from the fastest Indy Car practicers.

Catch Up Weekend

• Laptop crashes are no fun...especially at a race track. Hence, no pix or blogging from a popular win by Bobby Rahal's driver, Ryan Hunter-Reay, at Watkins Glen International.
• EJ Viso has the mumps, and won't be racing tonight at Nashville, where Helio Castroneves is on the pole...Helio's Indy Car ship needs to be righted...and with the Captain, Roger Penske, returning to the track...the inspiration sits on the pit box.
• The NASCAR beat media has gone ga-ga over the rumor that presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama would sponsor the BAM Racing machine in a one race deal at Pocono Raceway in August. Chris Jenkins of the AP did some homework, called the Obama campaign, and Jenkins reported the Obama campaign said (in so many words) "that dog won't hunt". I wonder whether Grant v NASCAR drove that few million dollars away.
• So Tony Stewart and Gene Haas combined to form Stewart-Haas Racing for 2009 and beyond. An interesting development...but not one that deserves the wall-to-wall coverage it is getting. On a personal business level, I wish "Smoke" great success as an owner.
• This is the first weekend of the NHRA's 1000 foot experiment...and still the nitro Top Fuel cars ran over 300 miles an hour and covered 1,000 feet in under 4 seconds at Bandimere Speedway outside Denver, the first part of the Western Swing. Shortening the distance for nitro cars an interim measure which will buy the NHRA time as their newly convened panel studies the issue on how to enhance nitro car (Top Fuel and Funny Car) safety. Bandimere has installed a cooling system under the 1/4 mile track...a first.
• Senator John Warner (R-Va.) is a distinguished public servant, who is retiring from the Senate. Warner's record in national defense issues cannot be faulted. His suggestion that the 55 mile an hour speed limit be reinstituted is not such a good idea, and, like those who oppose drilling for our own oil in our own country, relies on outdated thinking not grounded in the real world of today. In 1973, when edition one was tried, the fleet of cars on the road was mostly comprised of carbureted V8 rear wheel drive sedans. That rear wheel drive V8 configuration exists mainly in today's full size sport utility fleet. You would be hard pressed to find a new car or truck that comes with a carbureted engine. Most of the vehicles sold in the US are front wheel drive. So technology has advanced, and it will continue to do so, if driven by the market. Want proof? Look at Honda's sales numbers and compare them to sales of manufacturers that rely primarily on SUVs to make their profit in the past few months. The market will take care of the problem if it is allowed to work, by increasing supply (which means drilling for oil in United States possessions and offshore, accelerating the use of E85 and its manufacture from cellulosic ethanol, more use of bio diesel and enhancing economy with real world improvements like more five and six speed automatic transmissions on even the smallest of vehicles) to meet our demand. The drilling technology has advanced since edition one of the "energy crisis". As for conservation: it will come naturally with more real world improvements like five, six and even seven speed automatic transmissions, better fuel management thanks to direct injection, and more efficient aerodynamics. The hybrid, fuel cell and all electric vehicles are only part of the answer and should be further developed. As more five speed automatics replace older three and four speed automatic transmision cars...the efficiency will go up.
• The enforcement of a 55 mile an hour speed limit also poses a public safety issue: We need our policemen to protect us from murderers, sex offenders, robbers, and those whose actions pose a forcible threat to our lives and property. As eyewash with a 55 mile an hour speed limit, state and local governments would take cops off the job they do best--protecting our neighborhoods, since all law enforcement is local--and in essence turn them into "tax collectors" with stepped up 55 mile per hour speed enforcement operations, because that is an easier way to raise revenue than taxes. That is, unfortunately, easier for governments than actually enacting policies that facilitate an increase in supply of fuels whether locally or nationally.
• In my opinion, the ideal car (and this comes from someone who's driven more than 770 to produce a national radio program) is one that is fast, safe, functional and thrifty. That would mean the car would have to have a 9 second or faster 0-60 time; a five star front and side crash rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, seat four, carry their luggage and entertain them; not cost an arm and leg to insure and maintain and get between 20-22 miles per gallon in traffic and 30-34 miles per gallon on the highway. That is why GM's Chevy Tahoe and Yukon SUV hybrids are such an engineering feat. They won't get 30 on the highway...but to have a three ton SUV move from a standing start to almost 25 miles an hour on electric power...that is neat. There will be more on this in next week's Radio-Road-Test. You can go to our road test data page to see how mileage and acceleration function in the real world.
• All things equal, we'll resume our blogging from the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course when the ALMS and IndyCar Series have a double header weekend next week.

Greetings from St. Pete with Snapshots

Top--one of the fuel tanks in the pits for the American LeMans Series race here. This particular type of racing fuel is related to E85 (85 percent ethanol, 15 percent gasoline) which is becoming more available at pumps near you. Cellulosic ethanol is made from wood, which if you think about it, makes a lot of sense...because the pressure to use corn stocks to make ethanol could be lessened. The Corvettes and Aston Martins will run on the cellulosic ethanol blend this weekend.

Second--one of the aforementioned Corvettes getting ready to practice before qualifying later today.

Third--The overall winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring for the "Captain", Roger Penske. This car is driven by Timo Bernhard and Romain Dumas.

Bottom--the #7 Motorola Dallara Honda driven by Danica Patrick getting the thrice-over by the Andretti Green Racing team after practice. Justin Wilson (yep-one of those former Champ Car drivers who are now IndyCar series drivers) was the fastest in the first practice, clocking in at 102.014 miles an hour. Twenty six cars practiced. Patrick's car turned only 23 laps, with a best speed of 99.121 miles an hour.

Please remember that practice makes perfect...but in racing..it doesn't count until the green flag flies.

New York International Auto Show 2008

Gas is going north of $3.50 a gallon around the LA area...higher elsewhere. What's a car person to do?

At the NYIAS...electric commuter...hybrid and fuel cell cars were in evidence...no doubt inspired by the $10 million genius prize for the first affordable automobile that will get 100 miles per gallon of gas. Mitsubishi's take on this concept is pictured above.

That day is not as far off as we might think.

But for us unreconstructed car guys...Chevy showed an interesting twist on the HHR...with a 260 HP turbo 4, stick, all wheel discs, and some handling tweaks...and still well above 25 on the highway if you keep your foot out of the turbo. The HHR (also pictured above) bridges the gap between the '53 Chevy Suburban and cars for today.

Show notes: We catch up on our reading on our "Race-Talk" program...but we'll tell you that Lewis Hamilton is fastest at Seepang coming off a victory at the season opening Australian GP. The NHRA is off this week...back on next (yes, I REALLY can read a schedule)...the Top Fuel, Funny Car and Pro Stock winners at Gainesville...Defending Series Champions Tony Schumacher, Tony Pedregon and Jeg Coughlin, Jr. They are in action at Houston next weekend.

RANT: A final note about alternative fuels: The reason the Internet is so popular and so effective...is because it is unfettered by a bunch of taxes. Basic economics teaches you that taxing an activity is the best way to depress that activity (are you listening, New York?). If this country were serious about getting more cars and trucks to run on E85 (85% ethanol, 15 percent unleaded gasoline) or bio-diesel (a diesel fuel derived from plant based oils); then it should not collect fuel tax on E85 or bio-diesel--ever. Our farmers, if given the chance, can surely grow enough of anything to make the raw materials for ethanol (they are even making ethanol from cellulose--a building block of plant life like trees, etc.) AND feed the rest of the world. And for those of you who say the government needs that revenue...I say balderdash! The economic activity that would be generated by the market driven conversion to E85 would unleash a boom which would generate more tax revenue derived from activity which is taxed (income). GM has a couple of million E85 cars already in service. Retrofits would drive an aftermarket. And it would once again become profitable to drill for oil in the US of A. This stuff is no different from cassette tapes, vinyl records, and CDs. There will always be a market for them--as there would be for 100% hydrocarbon fuels. The users understand that there would be an extra cost to use hydrocarbon fuels (present tax structure). Justice Learned Hand's words about arranging affairs so as to legally avoid paying taxes (by using a tax free alternative) ring especially true.

As for electric & hybrid cars--they are a great engineering exercise. Until they all yield gas powered performance and range, they will be a nice "feel good" purchase. Yes, the Highlander Hybrid gets V8 0-60 numbers (7 second range) and V6 fuel economy (mid to high 20's combined). But when people need to drive 5-600 miles per day...and they can't wait for a battery stack to charge...the internal combustion engine is still the prime mover of our economy. /RANT.