NASCAR finally switches to UNLeaded

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http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2007/mar/01/unleaded_fuel_not_easy_switch/

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/sport/archives/2005/07/11/2003263141

 

I have two articles here. They are the similar but they both relate to the post about NASCAR’s switch to ethanol. Sense the beginning NASCAR used leaded gasoline and has only recently decided to make the switch to unleaded gasoline. A decision was made in Jan. of 2005 to make the switch by 2008, but it came much early at the end of February 2007 at the
California motor speedway.

 

The initial announcement to switch came few days after Clean Air Watch urged the Environmental Protection Agency to begin checking for toxic lead in the air at NASCAR races. “NASCAR traditionally has been exempt from provisions of the Clean Air Act of 1970, which mandated use of unleaded fuel in automobiles. But that did not mean that NASCAR was comfortable with its use of leaded gas.” In recent years NASCAR has been even more concerned with the problems that leaded gas causes, as there has been an increase in the death from cancer among retired drivers, including the famous Benny Parsons. This is another case where organizations don’t worry about problems before it gets too late and serious problems begin to arise like health implications.  

“By permitting the continued use of lead, your organization may be putting millions of spectators and nearby residents at unnecessary risk of suffering serious health effects, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency,” O’Donnell wrote. “Because of the clear public health threat, lead is being eliminated from gasoline throughout most of the world.” NASCAR has been working on safe fuel alternatives. Since there was a lot of engine problems at the race where leaded gas was used, NASCAR will be research other forms of fuel more intensively such as ethanol, which is discussed in the previous post.

 

~Jeff

 

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