Mark Thomas and his ethanol-powered funny car will be on Capitol Hill Sept. 27 to highlight ethanol’s value as a renewable fuel. The Ohio Corn Growers Association (OCGA) sponsors the car on the International Hot Rod Association Funny Car circuit. The National Corn Growers Association, OCGA and the Renewable Fuels Association are organizing the event.

NCGA, Ohio Corn Growers to Bring Ethanol Race Car to Capitol Hill (9-22-06)

The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), the Ohio Corn Growers Association (OCGA) and the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) are bringing an ethanol-powered, high-performance race car to Capitol Hill Sept. 27 to continue education efforts and promote the growth and advances in American-made ethanol.

The event will feature Mark Thomas, five-time International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Funny Car champion, and his ethanol-powered race car sponsored by OCGA. Thomas and his car will be on the corner of Delaware Avenue and C Street NE from 11:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

“We look forward to Mark Thomas and his race car coming to Capitol Hill every year to promote ethanol and show how it contributes to establishing a domestically grown fuel supply,” said Gerald Tumbleson, NCGA president. “This is yet one more way our states and NCGA are working together to heighten ethanol awareness.”

Tumbleson said with passage of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, ethanol has charged ahead providing numerous benefits to the United States. Ethanol is blended in more than 40 percent of the country’s gasoline supply; ethanol production provides more than 200,000 U.S. jobs annually; and ethanol reduces greenhouse gas emissions from cars.

There are 103 ethanol biorefineries that have the capacity to produce more than 4.93 billion gallons annually. There are 43 ethanol plants and seven plant expansions under construction with a combined annual capacity of more than 3 billion gallons.