Ohio
Corn – Sponsored Race Car Promotes Ethanol on Capitol Hill (9-23-05)
Five-time International
Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Funny car champion Mark Thomas, sponsored
by the Ohio Corn Marketing Program, took his ethanol-powered race
car to Capitol Hill Wednesday to tout the homegrown fuel. The National
Corn Growers Association (NCGA) and the Renewable Fuels Association,
along with Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Christopher “Kit” Bond
(R-Mo.) were among those who joined Thomas.
Thomas, a renowned IHRA driver and a member of the Ohio Corn Growers
Association, is also part of a family farm operation in Ohio where
he farms 2,250 acres of corn, soybeans and forage and milks 600 head
of Holstein cows.
“By having Mark and his ethanol powered race car come to Washington,
members of Congress and their staffs not only see but hear from someone
who enjoys the benefits of ethanol in their everyday lives,” said
Dwayne Siekman, Ohio Corn Growers Association executive director. “OCGA
is always proud to help Mark spread the environmental and economical
benefits of ethanol across the country.”
“We were very happy that Mark could showcase his race car,
which runs on ethanol and corn oil at this event,” said Samantha
Slater, NCGA director of public policy. “The race car demonstrated
to members of Congress and their staffs the importance of using a
domestic renewable resource such as corn while also highlighting
the growing ethanol market.”
Slater said the
ethanol market is the single most successful and fastest growing
value-added market for farmers. Nearly 60 percent of all U.S. ethanol
plants are farmer-owned. “With the passage
of the energy bill and the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS) enacted,
it will become increasing important to ensure that corn growers remain
involved in the ownership of domestic ethanol production,” she
said.
The event showcased
the benefits a 7.5 billion gallon RFS and the need to pass a Water
Resources Development Act (WRDA) which includes modernization of
the locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.
This weekend, Thomas will race his ethanol-powered car at the 14th
Annual IHRA President's Cup at Maryland International Raceway.