By Andrew Cutler
November 18 2008

In 2007 the IRL became the first major racing series to "go green" by powering their cars on 100% fuel grade ethanol. For the past two seasons, they have been using an American made, corn-based version of this fuel. Starting next year, they will also be trying out sugar cane-based ethanol, made in Brazil.

On Monday Terry Angstadt, the president of the IRL's commercial division, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Brazilian agency responsible for promoting that country's biofuels industry on the world stage. The deal calls for the Brazilian ethanol producers to supply an as of yet undetermined percentage of the IRL's fuel needs  - which totals approximately 120,000 gallons - for the 2009 season.

"The (deal) is part of the strategy to promote Brazilian biofuel as a clean and sustainable energy," according to Alessandro Teixeira, president of the agency that brokered the deal.    

Ethanol burns cleaner and produces better milage than traditional gasoline, although at a price of reduced horsepower. While the league's switch to ethanol in '07 was initially praised, it soon became the object of some controversy, as corn-based ethanol's detractors say that production of this particular form of the fuel takes valuable farm acreage out of use for the supply of food to a growing world population.