Ethanol-powered driver ready for MCGA's Tasseldega Nights at Elko Speedway
When Joe Garofalo zooms around the track during Tasseldega Nights this Saturday at Elko Speedway, his car will be powered by a combination of E85 and racing fuel.
Garofalo has been racing since the mid-90s and remembers being involved with racing ever since he was a kid.
“Once you start with racing, you’re never done with racing,” Garofalo says.
Last summer, Elko Speedway and the Minnesota Corn Growers Association (MCGA) teamed up to put on “Tasseldega Nights,” a promotion where all fans received free admission to the races and had the opportunity to learn more about clean, renewable and homegrown ethanol fuel made from corn grown right here in Minnesota.
Tasseldega Nights returns to Elko Speedway this Saturday, June 6. Gates open at 5 p.m. and racing starts at 6. When the races finish, fans can stick around for “Fast and Furious 7” at Elko’s drive-in theater.
Yes, the racing, movie and ethanol-themed fun at Tasseldega Nights is all FREE. No strings attached. No advanced sign-up or registration necessary. Just show up and have fun courtesy of Minnesota’s corn farmers.
Garofalo started blending E85 (a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline) with racing fuel last year. Officials at Elko Speedway made E85 a legal fuel after forming a partnership with MCGA. Now, drivers at Elko who run on higher ethanol blends compete for the “Ethanol Cup.”
Garofalo began using E85 after talking with a cousin who uses the higher-octane fuel in his performance race car. He also did his own research and learned about the performance benefits of ethanol. Drag racers and street performance vehicles have had a lot of success using higher-ethanol blends.
“It gives you more power and I’ve found that there are other performance benefits, too,” Garofalo said.
Another great thing about using E85 is the price. Graofalo gets his E85 from a local Holiday station for about $1.85 per gallon. Racing fuel runs about $8 per gallon.
But higher ethanol fuels like E85 aren’t just for racing. If you’re not familiar with E85 or ethanol in general, here’s a quick overview:
- All regular unleaded gasoline contains 10 percent ethanol. This helps reduce prices at the pump, clean our air, and meet the performance requirements of today’s engines.
- Higher ethanol blends like E85 can run in flex-fuel vehicles. E15 is approved for use in vehicles 2001 or newer.
- Ethanol burns cleaner than gasoline. It helps clean our air and reduce carbon emissions.
- Ethanol is also less expensive than gasoline. E15 is typically priced 10-15 cents less per gallon than regular unleaded. E85 is typically 80 cents to $1 less than gasoline.
- Looking for a station that dispenses E15 or E85? Check out mnfuels.com.
You can also get all of your ethanol questions answered on Saturday during Tasseldega Nights. MCGA and several biofuels partners will be on hand with ethanol information, games and prizes. If you’re not watching Garofalo race his way to the winner’s circle, come by and say “hi.”
“I’m very excited about what the Corn Growers are doing,” Garofalo said. “Tasseldega Nights is a great promotion and we’re looking forward to having a ton of people at the track.”
