Lynch: Ethanol mix continues greening of NASCAR (cont'd)

Q. What about sugar-based ethanol? Isn't that the best ethanol alternative?

Lynch: Domestic ethanol reduces our dependence on foreign energy. Since all sugarcane ethanol is made in other countries, it wouldn't help us reduce our dependence on foreign energy. We need our own, domestic energy sources.

Q. Does using corn for ethanol raise the price of food?

Lynch: We are not the experts on the very complicated issue of food pricing. We are standing behind American farmers, who are growing significantly more corn than is needed for food, and will benefit from having a new market for extra corn.

Q. Is NASCAR moving to fuel injection next year? Is this change related to that?

Lynch: At some point we see fuel injection as a future enhancement to our bio-fuels program. The decision to introduce fuel injection and the timing of the introduction is unrelated to the introduction of E15.

Q Is this announcement tied to last week's EPA decision allowing E15 for consumer use? Is NASCAR now advocating E15 at retail?

Lynch: The development of Sunoco Green E15 came completely independent of the EPA ruling. What we've announced is NASCAR will be using a high performance, next-generation renewable fuel that produces great racing, helping to demonstrate energy independence and supporting our farmers. Drivers on America's roads are free to use whichever blend they like best.

Q. How is the new fuel manufactured and where is it produced?

Lynch: American ethanol producers are making the ethanol, in addition to ethanol from Sunoco's ethanol plant in Fulton, NY, which Sunoco then blends. No new plants are required

Q. Doesn't ethanol production consume a lot of natural gas, diesel fuel and other inputs that produce CO2?

Lynch: Advances in technology, science and engineering in farming and ethanol production have substantially reduced the amount of CO2 emissions related to ethanol. Today's grain ethanol is a low-carbon fuel -- up to 59 percent cleaner than conventional gasoline. [The entire well-to-wheel Life Cycle Analysis, from production to consumption, can be found in Yale's peer-reviewed study in Journal of Industrial Ecology]. With further developments in farming, ethanol production and ethanol marketing, this American fuel will get only cleaner.

Q. Can this fuel hurt small engines -- boats, lawnmowers, tractors, etc.?

Lynch: Our expertise is with NASCAR. Our engine builders have tested the Sunoco Green E15 fuel for the past several weeks and the reports have been very positive.

Q. So this is the final fuel for NASCAR? Or a work in progress?

Lynch: NASCAR essentially had the same fuel for more than 50 years. In Sunoco's six years as official fuel partner, they changed to unleaded fuel, and now to an E15 blend. We will continue to change with the times and as technology evolves.