NEWTON -- Even Gene Simmons knows the value of ethanol.
As the rock 'n roll legend strolled behind pit road Sunday just prior to the Iowa Corn Indy 250 at the Iowa Speedway near Newton, he was swarmed by autograph-seeking fans. He hopes America will embrace ethanol just as enthusiastically.
Unfortunately, Simmons -- the bass guitarist for legendary rock 'n' roll band KISS and marketing partner with the IndyCar Series -- said that is not yet the case. In California, he said, people don't think about ethanol.
"Actually, the truth is, no one does," Simmons said. "By setting the standard, Indy cars are showing how fuel efficient and powerful ethanol is. It gives farmers jobs and it supports communities."
Indy cars burn 100 percent ethanol. Regular vehicles burn anywhere from a 10 percent to 85 percent blend.
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But Simmons said E85 isn't available in California.
"We don't have the choice," he said.
That is why Iowa corn growers and the Iowa Farm Bureau spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to sponsor the race and promote the corn-based fuel as an environmentally friendly alternative to foreign oil. Filling up a 32-gallon tank with E85 replaces one barrel of foreign oil. Iowans used a record 407,932 gallons during the first quarter of 2007.
Tim Recker, an Arlington grain farmer and soon-to-be president of the Iowa Corn Growers Association, said the nationally televised race was the perfect opportunity to showcase ethanol.
"It's (ethanol) well-known in Iowa, not in the nation. It's really not," Recker said. "That's why we're doing it with nationwide coverage. It's time to unveil it to the rest of the country."
He said there were no complaints about the Iowa Corn Promotion Board using corn checkoff funds -- a half-cent per bushel sold -- for the six-figure sponsorship. Indy Pro Series rules forbid the corn growers from revealing the exact figure. This year $8 million in checkoff funds will be spent for corn promotion, research and education.
The Iowa Farm Bureau teamed up with Orange County Choppers to its part promoting ethanol. Prior to the race, the Teutel family -- Paul Sr. and sons Paul Jr. and Mikey -- unveiled the first-ever renewable energy chopper. The family stars in the reality television show "American Chopper" on The Learning Channel.
Craig Lang, Farm Bureau president, said the chopper was commissioned to showcase Iowa as the leader in renewable energy.
The Tuetels toured central Iowa for inspiration prior to building the green machine, visiting a wind farm and ethanol plant, among other sites. The bike runs on E85. Spinners in the rims mirror blades on a wind turbine. Iowa's wind energy industry is growing faster than any other state. The unique paint job features corn and soybeans, used to make ethanol and biodiesel. The leather seat includes artistic renderings of livestock, which consume ethanol by-products.
"This was just a fun project," Paul Jr. said at a pre-race news conference. "It burns so clean. Man, not like gas fumes."
The renewable fuels chopper is engineered just like others the family has built, except a larger carburetor was needed and fuel intake adjustment, junior said. It has a monster 131-cubic-inch V-twin air-cooled motor.
"I've rode the bike more than once. It's not quite dialed in yet, but it'll definitely fly," Paul Sr. said.
The public will have an opportunity to win the chopper -- valued at $100,000 -- during the "Join the Ride Iowa" tour across the state. Raffle tickets are $10 each, with proceeds going to the American Lung Association of Iowa. On July 7, it will be at Smith Chevrolet-Buick-Pontiac in Grundy Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Some motorcycle riders claim ethanol is bad for bikes. Greg Kohls of Evansdale, who rides a 1993 Harley-Davidson Ultra Classic, said ethanol is too corrosive and eats away rubber gaskets in his bike's fuel system.
He said it's hard to find gas without ethanol, and that's not right.
"I feel like I got shoved under the rug," Kohls said.
Paul Jr. disagrees. He doesn't believe ethanol is bad for bikes at all.
"I don't see how someone would have any objections. It's locally made," he said.
A religious viewer of American Chopper, Kohls still plans on watching the show. The two-hour program featuring the renewable energy chopper will air on TLC in October.
Iowa is the leader in renewable fuels production with 28 ethanol plants producing 1.9 billion gallons and 11 biodiesel refineries making 200 million gallons. Nineteen ethanol facilities are either under construction or expanding, which will add another 1.4 billion gallons, as well as three more biodiesel plants.
Demand for ethanol skyrocketed during the last year with the phase out of another popular, but toxic, fuel additive MTBE. Corn prices more than doubled as well. The events have been well documented in the media. Both "60 Minutes" and the Wall Street Journal have interviewed local producers.
But, the corn growers and Farm Bureau said it is still crucial to promote ethanol.
"We feel it's a very important part of our marketing campaign. (Most) of every dollar spent on E85 stays in the local economy," Lang said.
"This is not about the bike, but what farmers are doing to reduce our dependence on foreign oil," he continued. "The bike is just a tool to do that. We believe our mission is to help increase the population and boost the economy. … We're all about building Iowa."
Contact Matthew Wilde at (319) 291-1579 or matt.wilde@wcfcourier.com.
Despite the explosion in ethanol use, national media attention due to high corn prices and the corn vs. fuel debate and government legislation supporting ethanol, supporters say there's still plenty of work to be done. Iowans may know about ethanol, but that doesn't mean the rest of the country does. And, supporters say there are still doubters at home.